Women in rural India form the backbone of the country's agricultural economy and contribute significantly to its socio-economic fabric. Despite this, they face challenges like limited access to education, healthcare, financial resources, and decision-making opportunities.
India's informal economy employs over 94 per cent of women, with rural women making up 93.1 per cent of the workforce and urban women making up 77.2 per cent. They work in hazardous sectors like agriculture, construction, and domestic work, often without registration or access to social security benefits. Women in agriculture face challenges like lack of credit, land ownership, and market opportunities. They are often paid less than men and have limited coverage of public social security schemes.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), India ranked 129th out of 146 countries in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, a two-place drop from 2023. Indian women only represent 37 percent of the workforce and contribute 18 per cent to India's GDP.
According to another report, the female labor force participation rate (LFPR) in rural India has significantly increased from 24.6 per cent to 47.6 per cent in 2023-2024, with the workforce participation ratio doubling from 22 per cent to 40 per cent. The number of educated women and self-employed workers in the workforce has also seen steady growth.
Need to Address the Gender Inequities
State and Union governments empower rural women by implementing targeted policies, fostering grassroots programs, ensuring equitable access to resources, promoting vocational training, job creation, healthcare, nutrition, and education, and strengthening laws against violence. To ensure women's empowerment specifically in backward communities and rural India, the Indian government has taken major steps and initiatives to overcome the challenges.
Here are 8 Indian state government-led schemes that offer monthly financial assistance to rural women in their respective states.
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