Declining Rural Female Work Participation Rate

Countering a Positivist Reductionist Rationale

Abstract

Declining female work participation rate (WPR) has been long ignored by the researchers in post-independence period and when the due attention was paid, it did a great disservice to the cause of women rights by explaining the cause of declining female WPR through the lens of economic prosperity i.e. income effect. The evidence from Census (2001-11) and NSS (1999-2000 & 2011-12) do not conform to this general logic as the increase in income also leads to increase in consumption in early stage of increment in income. So, it is unlikely that women from the poorest households will withdraw from the workforce. However, this has been the case which pushes one to look for the additional explanations for withdrawal of female workforce from labour market. The analysis of evidence from NSS and Census of India, confirms that though, there has been rise in proportion of young females (5-24 age group) attending education institutes but the women who have withdrawn from work are actively seeking work while performing domestic duties along with allied activities. This means that the income effect do induce the greater school attendance but does an injustice to core women workforce (25-59) by reducing the logic behind the decline in female WPR to income while completely ignoring the socio-economic scenario and its regional patterns of patriarchy. This positivist and reductionist approach must be countered to bring the focus on the better quality work for women.