As the sun rises across India’s fields and factories, more women are stepping out, tools or laptops in hand, to claim their share of the country’s prosperity.
They are not just participating in the workforce; they are powering it. And as she walks into work, India walks forward with her – Siddharth Roy, (siddharth001.roy@gmail.com)
In the early light of dawn, on a small farm in rural Assam, you might see Rupa (not her real name), a 35-year-old mother of two, step- ping out into the fields with her hoe in hand. Hundreds of miles away, in a bustling factory in Bengaluru, Meera (also not her real name), 28, swipes in for a night shift at an electronics unit, her child tucked away in a nearby night-care facility. These scenes, scattered across India, are part of a quiet revolution, one that’s steadily transforming the economic landscape of the country. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for September 2025 shows that the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) has risen to 34.1%, the highest in five months, with rural women driving much of this growth.
For a nation that has long struggled with low and stagnant female workforce participation, this is more than a statistic; it is a sign of change, both economic and social. Between 2017–18 and 2022–23, rural women’s LFPR jumped from 24.6% to 41.5%, marking one of the sharpest rises in recent memory. This shift, though gradual, reflects deeper transformations, the fruits of policy, necessity, and aspiration coming together to reshape India’s gendered economic story.
The implications are profound. Economists have long argued that India’s growth potential remains under-realised so long as half of its population remains outside the formal workforce. The World Bank estimates that a 10-percentage-point increase in women’s labour force participation could add hundreds of billions of dollars to India’s GDP. But beyond numbers, this rise represents something far more human: dignity, independence, and the quiet power of economic agency for millions of women whose contributions have long gone unpaid and unseen within households. The drivers of this shift are complex but interconnected. In rural India, government schemes and policy nudges have opened new pathways for women. Self-help groups (SHGs), microfinance access, and rural enterprise missions have allowed women to turn their skills into income. Programmes under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission have empowered women’s collectives, while digital inclusion and Jan Dhan Bank accounts have given them direct control over finances. The Economic Survey 2024 highlighted that overall female participation rose from 23.3% in 2017–18 to 37% in 2022–23 — a remarkable leap.
At the same time, the very nature of work is changing. The spread of micro-enterprises, home-based industries, agricultural diversification, and gig work has made economic participation more flexible, and therefore, more compatible with women’s caregiving responsibilities. In many cases, the rise is also driven by necessity: declining agricultural wages, rising living costs, and the aftershocks of the pandemic have pushed families to rely on multiple incomes. When men migrated for work or faced job losses, women stepped up and stayed on.
Yet, it would be naïve to mistake this encouraging rise for a complete victory. Much of the new work women are doing remains informal, insecure, and poorly paid. Many women are classified as “self-employed” or “unpaid helpers” in family enterprises, earning a fraction of what men earn for similar labour. Urban women, in particular, face a different set of challenges — from lack of safe transport and childcare facilities to rigid work cultures that make balancing employment and caregiving nearly impossible. While rural LFPR has surged, urban female participation has risen modestly, from 20.4% in 2017–18 to just 25.4% in 2022–23.
There are also sharp regional differences. States like Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu have higher female participation rates, while others lag far behind due to cultural barriers, lack of infrastructure, and limited access to quality employment. The data reveals a stark truth: though more women are working, many are doing so out of compulsion rather than choice, in sectors that offer neither security nor upward mobility.
The path forward must focus not just on quantity but quality. It is not enough for women to enter the workforce — they must have access to decent, dignified, and fairly paid work. Skill development and vocational training tailored to women must expand beyond traditional domains like tailoring or handicrafts and move into manufacturing, technology, green jobs, and digital services. Equally, there is a need to recognise and redistribute unpaid care work (purple economy). Without formal childcare systems, elder care facilities, and flexible work policies, many women will continue to exit the labour force prematurely.
Creating supportive infrastructure is non-negotiable. Safe public transport, crèches at workplaces, sanitation facilities, and maternity protections are not luxuries; they are prerequisites for women’s sustained participation. The private sector must play its part too by embracing flexible work arrangements, ensuring pay parity, and promoting women into leadership roles. But perhaps the most difficult transformation is cultural. Deep-seated social norms continue to dictate what women can or cannot do, where they can work, and how long they can stay out. The progress of the past few years suggests that change is possible but fragile. For every Rupa who steps out to work, there may be another woman held back by stigma or domestic pressure.
India’s ambition of becoming a developed economy by 2047 hinges on unlocking the full potential of its people, all of its people. The recent PLFS numbers show promise, but they also sound a quiet warning: that momentum can falter unless backed by sustained policy, social reform, and investment in women’s capabilities.
Imagine Meera in Bengaluru earning a fair wage, returning home safely at night, and being able to afford better schooling for her child. Imagine Rupa in Assam moving from farm work to running her own small food-processing unit. These are not mere dreams — they are blueprints for India’s next growth story. The rise of women in the labour force is not just about economics; it is about justice, equality, and the reshaping of national identity.
As the sun rises across India’s fields and factories, more women are stepping out, tools or laptops in hand, to claim their share of the country’s prosperity. They are not just participating in the workforce; they are powering it. And as she walks into work, India walks forward with her.