Women’s participation rises in Delhi’s labour force: Report
A report by the Delhi Government indicates that while the ratio of female workers in the labour force of the national capital has increased, their wages remain lower than those of men, despite some fluctuations over the years. The Delhi State Framework Indicator report on the status of sustainable development goals, released recently by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, shows that the ratio of female to male labour force participation rate was 0.19 in 2017-18. This figure rose to 0.28 in 2023-24. Additionally, the report shows the female labour force participation rate, which was 11.2 per cent in 2017-18, grew to 14.5 per cent in 2023-24. It was 13.7 in 2018-19, 12.8 in 2019-20, 10.7 in 2020-21, 9.4 in 2021-22, 11.3 in 2022-23. The ratio of the female to male labour force participation rate shows the relative proportion of women in the economically active population compared to men.
The wages (rupees per day) of labourers employed in activities other than public works were `403 for men and `300 for women during the July-September quarter of 2017-18. In the same period for 2023-24, the wages increased to `548 for men and `500 for women. Similarly, in the April-June quarter of 2017-18, men earned `376 while women earned `400. During the 2023-24 April-June quarter, wages rose to `556 for men and `500 for women, the figures showed. The Directorate of Economics and Statistics has developed the Delhi State Indicator Framework 2024 for monitoring progress made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being implemented in the country.
The report sets a target of undertaking reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws. The report also reveals a drop in the ratio of women to men in professional and technical work from 28.5 per cent in 2020-21 to 21.3 per cent in 2022-23.
