Women in informal sector

The majority of women in both rural and urban areas of India are employed in the informal sector, which is characterised by low productivity, minimal incomes and a lack of economic and social security. In rural areas, 87% of women are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators. In urban areas, about 80% of the women workers are employed in household industries, small trade and services, and building and construction. A worrisome trend is the increasing informality of women's employment in all sectors and in most regions. Labour laws are difficult to impose [on] the informal sector, particularly when the workers lack the ability to effectively organise. Education and training alone will not suffice to increase the productivity and income of women in the informal sector. It must be pursued within the context of training for existing potential market opportunities. Women need to be assisted in employment. Governments have largely failed to initiate policies that will actively encourage women into self-employment and to enact legislation to remove legal barriers which often impede women from operating independently in business. While many of the problems relating to female employment may also apply to men, albeit to a lesser degree, improving women's employment opportunities in the informal sector has to take account of the fact that they are situated at the bottom end of the labour market and that there are social, cultural and economic factors which inhibit them from benefiting from training and employment opportunities on an equal basis with men.

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The majority of women in both rural and urban areas of India are employed in the informal sector, which is characterised by low productivity, minimal incomes and a lack of economic and social security. In rural areas, 87% of women are employed in agriculture as labourers and cultivators. In urban areas, about 80% of the women workers are employed in household industries, small trade and services, and building and construction. A worrisome trend is the increasing informality of women's employment in all sectors and in most regions. Labour laws are difficult to impose [on] the ...  [+] Show more