Women Participation in India's Manufacturing Sector

Women’s participation in India’s manufacturing sector has declined to just 18.9% in formal jobs, highlighting significant challenges such as education, sectoral concentration, and workplace safety. Addressing these issues is crucial for empowering women and achieving a Viksit Bharat. Last Updated: 2025-04-17

Key Facts About Women Participation in India's Manufacturing Sector

• Women’s share in formal manufacturing decreased from 20.9% to 18.9% between 2015-2022.
• Only 1.57 million women out of 8.34 million formal workers are women.
• Tamil Nadu employs the highest proportion of women at 41%.
• Gender disparity is severe in Bihar, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.
• Women are mainly employed in textiles, apparel, and food processing, accounting for 60% of female jobs.
• Tobacco is the only industry with more women than men employed.
• Women represent 43% of the informal manufacturing workforce.
• Over 90% of the informal tobacco workforce is female.

India's Economic and Social Goals

The macro-level significance of increasing women’s participation in the manufacturing sector ties directly to India's economic and social goals. Enhancing gender equality in employment can significantly boost India's GDP, as studies show that gender parity could add 27% to India's GDP by 2025. Comparatively, countries like China and Vietnam have higher female participation in manufacturing, which contributes to their robust economic growth. Achieving gender parity is essential for a balanced and inclusive economic development strategy.

Related Government Schemes/Policies

• Maternity Benefit Act: Provides maternity leave and benefits to women employees.
• Skill India Mission: Aims to provide vocational training to enhance employability.
• Make in India: Encourages manufacturing and aims to create jobs, including for women.

UPSC Relevance

• GS Paper 1: Social Issues - Gender Inequality
• GS Paper 2: Governance - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
• GS Paper 3: Economic Development - Employment and labor reforms
• Prelims Angle: Questions on statistics, key industries, and state-wise data
• Mains Angle: Essays on gender equality, economic empowerment, and policy analysis

FAQ Section

• What is the current status of women participation in India's manufacturing sector?

  Women’s participation in India’s manufacturing sector has decreased to 18.9% in formal jobs, with significant gender disparity across states and industries.

• Why is women participation in manufacturing important?

  Increasing women’s participation is crucial for economic growth and achieving gender parity, which could add 27% to India's GDP by 2025.

• What are the key features of women employment in manufacturing?

  Women are predominantly employed in textiles, apparel, and food processing, with 43% in informal manufacturing and over 90% in the informal tobacco workforce.