Understanding the Determinants of Low Female Workforce Participation in Urban India: A Focus on Marital Status
Abstract
The female participation of women in urban India continues to be low, though there has been a rise in rural participation. This study aims to find out the factors impacting the lack of female workforce participation in urban areas, with an emphasis on marital status. Using a survey, 114 responses were collected from women aged more than 24 years based in India and the data was analysed using visualizations. From the results, multiple factors were identified that influence female labour participation in urban areas. Firstly, mode of work affects female participation in the labour force. Most employed women currently work from offices; while married women prefer to continue in-office work, single women prefer hybrid options. Conversely, married unemployed women prefer work-from-home opportunities. Secondly, women in nuclear families are more likely to be part of the workforce than those in joint family systems. Thirdly, unemployed women tend to have more dependents, or more children, than employed women, suggesting that the burden of their responsibilities keeps them out of the workforce. Lastly, a huge proportion of married and employed women have taken career breaks, majorly due to pregnancy, followed by marriage, childcare, household demands, and further education. Several married and unemployed women were not working before marriage and would like to work in the future, but are unable to do so due to lack of break from professional life or burnout, increased household responsibilities, relocation post-marriage, and lack of family or spousal support for working. The single and employed women would wish to continue working if they got married in the future, but fear career disruption post marriage. Thus, it can be concluded that marital status, mode of work, type of family, household responsibilities, pregnancy, childcare, and family support have a key role in influencing a female’s participation in the workforce.
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