Increase women’s participation in the workforce by addressing their caregiving responsibilities

Source: The post increase women’s participation in the workforce by addressing their caregiving responsibilities has been created, based on the article “India needs to develop a care ecosystem” published in “The Hindu” on 28th August 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3- Economy-employment

Context: The article discusses the need to increase women’s participation in the workforce by addressing their caregiving responsibilities. It calls for a comprehensive policy that supports care services, ensures worker rights, and recognizes the care economy’s broader societal impact.

For detailed information on Care Economy read this article here

What is the Current State of Female Labor Force Participation in India?

1. The Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) in India was 37% in 2022-23, which is below the global average of 47.8%.
2. Despite an increase from 23.3% in 2017-18, a significant portion (37.5%) of this participation consists of women working as unpaid helpers in household enterprises.

Why is Women’s Economic Participation Low?

1. High Burden of Care: Women in India shoulder a disproportionately high burden of care within families, including childcare, and caring for the elderly, sick, and disabled.
2. Time Spent on Unpaid Work: Women aged 15-64 spend three times more time on unpaid domestic work compared to men.
3. Lack of Support Systems: Insufficient childcare and care infrastructure further limit women’s ability to engage in paid employment.

How is Childcare Being Addressed?

1. State governments are enhancing childcare services using the Anganwadi network.
2. The 2024-25 budget allocated a 3% increase for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, focusing on integrated childcare and nutrition programs.
3. Community-based crèches are operational in some states through partnerships between government and non-government bodies.
4. These models are being evaluated for their replicability, financial sustainability, and scalability.
5. Beyond childcare, women also provide care across the family’s life span. The demand for hired caregivers is growing, especially in urban areas, but there is a lack of standardized employment practices and protections for these workers.

How is the Care Economy Viewed Globally?

1. The World Economic Forum highlights the care economy as an essential driver of economic productivity globally.
2. The care economy is also seen as a business opportunity for organizations to invest in and employ skilled care workers.
3. From a human rights perspective, it is crucial for advancing gender equality and disability inclusion.
4. In India, the care economy is underdeveloped, with significant gaps in training, skilling, and certification of care workers, despite increasing demand for caregiving services across families’ life courses.

What Should be Done?

1. Creating an ecosystem that meets household care needs while protecting care workers’ rights is essential.
2. This includes ensuring safe, quality, and affordable care from well-trained workers. A needs-based assessment of care services and a mapping of care providers can help develop this ecosystem.

3.There is a need for a comprehensive policy that defines the care ecosystem and is supported by multiple ministries.

Question for practice:

Examine the factors contributing to the low Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) in India and the potential impact of improving care services on this rate.