In India, women constitute 46.2 percent of the total enrolment in higher education but the female labour force participation rate is a mere 21 percent, as against a global average of 40 per cent. In fact, not only is the number very low, but for those who do join the workforce, there exists a gap in the pay of men and women, and the proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ has resulted, on an average across sectors, in only about 8 per cent women being in senior positions in India.
The reasons for the low rate of participation are manifold – ranging from socio-cultural norms, economic factors, convenience, lack of family support, lack of adequate job opportunities etc. but the crux of the matter is that higher levels of education have sadly not resulted in higher workforce participation, especially in better levels of jobs – in fact rather the reverse in recent years, with the female labour force participation rates (FLFPR) actually dropping in India from 31.8 per cent in 2005…