Only 10.3% of urban workforce includes women: Survey

NEW DELHI: A recent survey conducted by the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE) revealed that the participation of women in the urban labor market is at a dismal low of 10.3 per cent. The survey by IWWAGE, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant-holder, reported that around 90 per cent of the women who are 15 years of age or more in urban India are neither employed, nor are they actively seeking employment.

The report suggested that over half of the salaried women workers across rural and urban geographies were not eligible for paid leaves and any social security benefits. It also established that nearly 71 per cent of the working women in urban areas had no written job contract, and over half of them across urban geographies were not eligible for paid leaves and any social security benefits. It noted that even though digital adoption in the country is at an all-time high, a huge gender gap persists when it comes to access of mobile phones/ internet in the country. The report suggested this as one of the reasons behind 79 per cent of women entrepreneurs witnessing low sales and reduced customer footfall during 2020.