The rate of skilling in females is much higher than males when compared to the male-female labour force participation rate in the country, the skills development ministry said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.
“The government is aware of the phenomenon. But, in case the figures in the Economic Survey of India (ESI) 2021-22 are interpreted in the context of vast differences between the labour force participation rates of males and females, the same facts and figures would show an opposite picture of higher percentage of skilled females in the female labour force, as compared to the corresponding figures for males,” it said on Monday.
As per the period labour force survey (PLFS), proportion of skilled female workforce in the country stood at 1.7% in 2017-18, 2% in 2018-19 and 2.9% in 2019-20 compared to 2.3%, 2.8% and 3.5% amongst male workforce in corresponding years.
“As may be seen, in India, the female participation in the labour force is approximately one-third or a little more of male participation,” it said.
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As per the PLFS, India had 12.24 crore of female workers vis-a-vis 38.73 crore of males in 2017-18, 12.45 crore vis-a-vis 39.37 crore males in 2018-19 and 15.47 crore of females vis-a-vis 40.87 crore of males in 2019-20.
“Hence, if calculated as a percentage of labour force, it shows a much higher rate of skilling in the female labour force than in male labour force as the percentage of skilled persons among the female population is approximately 48.5% whereas in terms of labour force participation, women number around 25%,” it said.
“This shows that skilling is an aspirational achievement for women who are coming out in higher numbers than ever before to skill themselves and offer their labour to the market for monetization rather than keeping entirely within the confines of their homes where their labour do not command any monetary value,” it added.
