Labour Day 2025: Women Workforce Participation in India Soars to 40%

"Women are increasingly engaged in income-generating activities and local enterprises. They are gaining access to skills, social security, and formal systems. They are becoming more visible within the economic framework," the statement described a broad-based shift.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey showed that female labour force participation has risen sharply, from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 40 per cent in 2025.

"Rural India continues to lead this change, pointing to a deeper structural shift in how women engage with work, not just as occasional contributors, but as consistent economic participants," the statement noted.

It said the rise in female participation reflects a broader expansion of employment opportunities and a steady movement towards formalisation in the labour market.

Government's efforts is also reflected in the strengthening of healthcare services under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme. A recently inaugurated ESIC hospital in Budgam, Jammu & Kashmir, will serve over 50,000 workers and their families, improving access to medical care and reinforcing the broader objective of worker welfare.

Expanded access to provident fund, insurance and healthcare has been especially relevant for women, who are more likely to be engaged in informal employment.

Across rural India, women are moving beyond traditional roles into entrepreneurship at an unprecedented scale, the government noted.

Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, over 10 crore women households have been mobilised into self-help groups.

The scheme began as a pathway to financial inclusion and has steadily evolved into a network of micro-enterprises, "where women are producing, managing, and selling, often becoming primary earners within their households."

Policy measures aimed at scaling women‑led enterprises include the Lakhpati Didi programme, which sought to enable crores of women entrepreneurs to earn over Rs 1 lakh annually, with expanded access to credit, skills and market linkages.

India's startup ecosystem comprises over 2.2 lakh recognised startups creating more than 23.3 lakh jobs and over 1 lakh startups having at least one woman director.

- IANS