Women and Low Paid Work

Across India, more women are entering the workforce than ever before, yet a large share remain trapped in insecure, poorly paid jobs. Even as female labour force participation has climbed past 40 percent in recent years, the vast majority of working women earn their living in the informal economy, without contracts, stable wages or social protection. Understanding why this happens is the first step toward genuine economic empowerment.

The weight of unpaid work

One of the biggest reasons women take up low-paid or part-time work is the sheer volume of unpaid labour they already carry at home. Surveys consistently show that Indian women spend several hours each day on cooking, cleaning and caregiving, far more than men. This invisible workload leaves little time to pursue full-time employment, upgrade skills or seek promotions. When paid work has to fit around domestic duties, women often settle for whatever is flexible and nearby, even if it pays badly and offers no security.

Segregated jobs and skill gaps

The kinds of work available to women also shape their earnings. A large number cluster in sectors such as domestic help, tailoring, caregiving and small-scale manufacturing, all of which are chronically undervalued. Better-paying fields, particularly in technology, engineering and management, remain dominated by men. Limited access to STEM education, digital literacy and vocational training keeps many women out of higher-growth industries, while persistent bias means that even those who qualify may face wage gaps and slower advancement.

The informality trap

Nearly nine in ten employed women work informally, which is perhaps the single clearest explanation for low pay. Informal jobs typically come without written contracts, guaranteed minimum wages, health insurance, maternity benefits or pensions. This leaves women acutely vulnerable to sudden loss of income, exploitation and old-age poverty. Because informal work is rarely recorded, it is also harder for policymakers to regulate wages or extend social security to those who need it most.

Why it matters

Closing this gap is not only a question of fairness, it is an economic imperative. Analysts have estimated that advancing women's participation and pay could add hundreds of billions of dollars to India's GDP. Yet simply opening the door to jobs is not enough. Real change requires a joined-up approach: expanding girls' education and vocational training, recognising and reducing the burden of unpaid care, supporting women entrepreneurs, and bringing informal workers under the umbrella of labour and social protection laws. When women are paid fairly for their work, families grow more resilient, communities prosper and the whole economy benefits.