From Numbers to Narratives: Women Reshaping the Workscape

India's female workforce participation has nearly doubled in seven years, with the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of women rising from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, according to the Economic Survey 2025. This rise, driven by rural women and government-backed schemes, is a historic transformation in the country's employment landscape. States like Sikkim now have female LFPRs exceeding 56%, and women-led startups account for nearly half of all registered startups in India.

 

But specialists warn that numbers only tell half the tale. Big groups of women remain concentrated in poorly paid, informal, or insecure work, and problems like workplace safety, equal pay, and career advancement persist. Business leaders and policymakers are calling for more underlying reforms, asserting that meaningful progress will necessitate not just additional jobs for women, but also superior jobs and genuine economic empowerment.

 

Source: Business Today, Economic Survey 2025, PIB