This factsheet explores Madhya Pradesh’s economy, contributing 4% to the national GDP with a GSDP of Rs. 8.1 lakh crores. Despite its natural resources, the state ranks among the bottom ten in per capita GSDP. With nearly 20% of the population being Scheduled Tribes, districts like Barwani, Damoh, and Guna experience higher poverty rates, highlighting the challenges faced by MP’s large tribal population.
Publications
Publications
Category
Year
Learning note
Women’s Workforce Participation In India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
Women’s labourforce participation rates (LFPR) reveals some interesting trends for Maharashtra. As per the figures from the labourforce surveys, the LFPR is significantly higher than the all-India figures, largely driven by higher than average rural employment. The state also shares a decline in self-employment and casual employment and a shift towards regular wage work for both rural and urban women. In Maharashtra the urban areas witnessed a consistent rise in regular wage work of women since 2004-05. More than 60 percent of women are employed as regular workers 70 percent of which is concentrated in the services sector such as education, health and retail. In rural areas, the share of casual workers is considerably higher at around 42 percent, followed by 52 percent in self-employment. The incidence of unpaid family workers among self-employed women exceed 80 percent. While the urban areas show considerable diversity of women workers across occupations and sectors, women in the rural areas remain concentrated as manual workers in agriculture or within construction work.
Women’s labourforce participation rates (LFPR) reveals some interesting trends for Maharashtra. As per the figures from the labourforce surveys, the LFPR is significantly higher than the all-India figures, largely driven by higher than average rural employment. The state also shares a decline in self-employment and casual employment and a shift towards regular wage work for both rural and urban women. In Maharashtra the urban areas witnessed a consistent rise in regular wage work of women since 2004-05. More than 60 percent of women are employed as regular workers 70 percent of which is concentrated in the services sector such as education, health and retail. In rural areas, the share of casual workers is considerably higher at around 42 percent, followed by 52 percent in self-employment. The incidence of unpaid family workers among self-employed women exceed 80 percent. While the urban areas show considerable diversity of women workers across occupations and sectors, women in the rural areas remain concentrated as manual workers in agriculture or within construction work.
Newsletter (Gender In Focus)
Gender in Focus
- November , 2020
- IWWAGE
During COVID-19, women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM played a critical role due to their deep rural reach and strong social capital. SHGs emerged as frontline actors in crisis response, leveraging trust and local networks to support communities. To recognise this contribution, IWWAGE’s report documents the good practices, strategies, and innovations led by SHGs in partnership with State Rural Livelihoods Missions during the pandemic.
During COVID-19, women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM played a critical role due to their deep rural reach and strong social capital. SHGs emerged as frontline actors in crisis response, leveraging trust and local networks to support communities. To recognise this contribution, IWWAGE’s report documents the good practices, strategies, and innovations led by SHGs in partnership with State Rural Livelihoods Missions during the pandemic.
Learning note
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Nidhi Gyan Pandey , Sona Mitra
Maharashtra, one of India’s most prosperous and industrially advanced states, has the highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) among all states, amounting to Rs. 19,400 billion in 2017-18. Despite its economic strength, Maharashtra ranks lower on gender indicators, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and a child sex ratio of 894. Female labour force participation (FLFPR) in Maharashtra is significantly higher than the national average at 31%, driven by rural participation. However, urban FLFPR remains low at 16.8%, highlighting gender disparities in urban employment. This factsheet explores key socio-economic and gender trends in the state.
Maharashtra, one of India’s most prosperous and industrially advanced states, has the highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) among all states, amounting to Rs. 19,400 billion in 2017-18. Despite its economic strength, Maharashtra ranks lower on gender indicators, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and a child sex ratio of 894. Female labour force participation (FLFPR) in Maharashtra is significantly higher than the national average at 31%, driven by rural participation. However, urban FLFPR remains low at 16.8%, highlighting gender disparities in urban employment. This factsheet explores key socio-economic and gender trends in the state.
Learning note
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Sona Mitra , Hiya Singh Rajput
Bihar, one of India’s poorest states, faces significant challenges in development across key areas such as education, health, and nutrition, while also lagging in gender development. With the lowest female workforce participation rate (WPR) in the country at just 2.8%, Bihar’s economic empowerment of women is a critical concern. This factsheet highlights the stark disparities in women’s employment in the state and calls for urgent policy action to address these issues, offering a comparison with national averages.
Bihar, one of India’s poorest states, faces significant challenges in development across key areas such as education, health, and nutrition, while also lagging in gender development. With the lowest female workforce participation rate (WPR) in the country at just 2.8%, Bihar’s economic empowerment of women is a critical concern. This factsheet highlights the stark disparities in women’s employment in the state and calls for urgent policy action to address these issues, offering a comparison with national averages.
Learning note
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Nidhi Gyan Pandey , Sona Mitra
Located on the southeastern coast of India, Andhra Pradesh is the eighth largest state by area, with 23.5% forest cover and 50.5% land under cultivation. While agriculture employs 60% of the population, it contributes only 32% to the state’s GSDP. Andhra Pradesh is a middle-income state with a high growth rate of 11% in 2018-19. The state’s female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is significantly higher than the national average, with rural FLFPR at 39% and urban FLFPR at 25.1%. The high rural FLFPR is partly attributed to women’s participation in the MGNREGA programme.
Located on the southeastern coast of India, Andhra Pradesh is the eighth largest state by area, with 23.5% forest cover and 50.5% land under cultivation. While agriculture employs 60% of the population, it contributes only 32% to the state’s GSDP. Andhra Pradesh is a middle-income state with a high growth rate of 11% in 2018-19. The state’s female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is significantly higher than the national average, with rural FLFPR at 39% and urban FLFPR at 25.1%. The high rural FLFPR is partly attributed to women’s participation in the MGNREGA programme.
Learning note
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Sona Mitra , Hiya Singh Rajput
Madhya Pradesh, known as the heart of India, is the second-largest state by area and rich in natural resources. With a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Rs. 8.1 lakh crores, MP contributes around 4% to the national GDP. However, the state faces significant challenges, ranking among the bottom ten states in per capita GSDP. Nearly 20% of MP’s population comprises Scheduled Tribes (STs), and districts like Barwani, Damoh, and Guna are among the poorest in the country, reflecting higher poverty rates among the state’s large tribal population.
Madhya Pradesh, known as the heart of India, is the second-largest state by area and rich in natural resources. With a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Rs. 8.1 lakh crores, MP contributes around 4% to the national GDP. However, the state faces significant challenges, ranking among the bottom ten states in per capita GSDP. Nearly 20% of MP’s population comprises Scheduled Tribes (STs), and districts like Barwani, Damoh, and Guna are among the poorest in the country, reflecting higher poverty rates among the state’s large tribal population.
Working Paper
Understanding the Market Landscape and Enterprise Readiness for Women-led Home-based Businesses in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan
- November , 2020
- RIGZOM WANGCHUK, RIA DUTTA
This document is not a priced publication. Copyright @ 2020 Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE), an initiative of LEAD at Krea University. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purpose is authorised, without prior written permission, provided the source is fully acknowledged. For further information, please write to communications@iwwage. org. This publication was possible with the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
This document is not a priced publication. Copyright @ 2020 Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE), an initiative of LEAD at Krea University. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purpose is authorised, without prior written permission, provided the source is fully acknowledged. For further information, please write to communications@iwwage. org. This publication was possible with the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Factsheet
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Sona Mitra, Hiya Singh Rajput
In urban areas of Madhya Pradesh, while the rise of women in regular wage work appears to be a positive trend, more in-depth analyses is required on the nature of employment contracts for women. On the positive side, the share of women in own account enterprises is substantially high in MP, more so in urban parts of the state
In urban areas of Madhya Pradesh, while the rise of women in regular wage work appears to be a positive trend, more in-depth analyses is required on the nature of employment contracts for women. On the positive side, the share of women in own account enterprises is substantially high in MP, more so in urban parts of the state
Factsheet
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Nidhi Gyan Pandey, Sona Mitra
This factsheet examines Maharashtra’s socio-economic landscape, highlighting its strong economic performance with the highest GSDP in India. Despite this, the state faces gender disparities, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and an urban female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) of just 16.8%. Rural FLFPR is higher, driving the state’s overall rate to 31%, but urban gender inequalities in employment persist.
This factsheet examines Maharashtra’s socio-economic landscape, highlighting its strong economic performance with the highest GSDP in India. Despite this, the state faces gender disparities, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and an urban female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) of just 16.8%. Rural FLFPR is higher, driving the state’s overall rate to 31%, but urban gender inequalities in employment persist.
Factsheet
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Nidhi Gyan Pandey, Sona Mitra
This factsheet provides an overview of Andhra Pradesh’s economy, where agriculture employs 60% of the population but contributes 32% to the GSDP. The state’s female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is notably higher than the national average, with rural FLFPR at 39% and urban at 25.1%, driven in part by women’s participation in the MGNREGA programme.
This factsheet provides an overview of Andhra Pradesh’s economy, where agriculture employs 60% of the population but contributes 32% to the GSDP. The state’s female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is notably higher than the national average, with rural FLFPR at 39% and urban at 25.1%, driven in part by women’s participation in the MGNREGA programme.
Brief
Care and Climate Change
- January , 2026
The brief focuses on bridging feminist economics and climate policy, highlighting gendered care burdens, structural undervaluation of reproductive labour, and the need for transformative interventions like care-responsive adaptation and finance.
The brief focuses on bridging feminist economics and climate policy, highlighting gendered care burdens, structural undervaluation of reproductive labour, and the need for transformative interventions like care-responsive adaptation and finance.
Brief
Measuring Women’s Work: Innovations and Obstacles in the Global South
- January , 2026
The brief examined challenges and innovations in capturing women’s paid and unpaid work in labour statistics. Drawing on experiences from India, South Africa, Latin America, and global systems, panelists highlighted how survey design, classifications, and institutional limits determine what is counted, and what remains invisible
The brief examined challenges and innovations in capturing women’s paid and unpaid work in labour statistics. Drawing on experiences from India, South Africa, Latin America, and global systems, panelists highlighted how survey design, classifications, and institutional limits determine what is counted, and what remains invisible
Report Snapshot
The Changing World of Women’s Work
- December , 2025
- Bidisha Mondal, Prakriti Sharma, Aneek Chowdhury, Anjali S
This study examines women’s participation in India’s platform economy using a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 598 platform workers (440 women) across care, domestic, beauty, ride-sharing, and delivery services with qualitative interviews. While platform work offers new entry points and flexibility, it often mirrors and deepens the precarity of informal work, limiting its potential for women’s empowerment. Persistent challenges include income instability, high entry and platform costs, limited social protection, unsafe conditions, and reinforced gender inequalities. Meaningful progress requires coordinated action by policymakers, platforms, and worker collectives to ensure fair earnings, social security, gender-sensitive systems, and effective grievance redressal
This study examines women’s participation in India’s platform economy using a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 598 platform workers (440 women) across care, domestic, beauty, ride-sharing, and delivery services with qualitative interviews. While platform work offers new entry points and flexibility, it often mirrors and deepens the precarity of informal work, limiting its potential for women’s empowerment. Persistent challenges include income instability, high entry and platform costs, limited social protection, unsafe conditions, and reinforced gender inequalities. Meaningful progress requires coordinated action by policymakers, platforms, and worker collectives to ensure fair earnings, social security, gender-sensitive systems, and effective grievance redressal
Brief
Women’s Work and AI-Unlocking Potential, Bridging the Divide
- December , 2025
- Sharati Roy, Dr. Mahima Taneja
AI is not neutral in how it’s designed or deployed. It is reshaping labour markets, with the biggest gains when it complements human skills rather than replaces them (ILO, 2025). While AI can improve efficiency and decision-making in sectors like healthcare, finance, and education, it also risks job losses and deeper inequalities. Outcomes will depend on whether AI drives automation or augmentation. In India—where Digital Public Infrastructure, data expansion, and the gig economy are growing rapidly—this brief explores women’s opportunities in AI/data value-chain work and AI-augmented livelihoods to support economic empowerment.
AI is not neutral in how it’s designed or deployed. It is reshaping labour markets, with the biggest gains when it complements human skills rather than replaces them (ILO, 2025). While AI can improve efficiency and decision-making in sectors like healthcare, finance, and education, it also risks job losses and deeper inequalities. Outcomes will depend on whether AI drives automation or augmentation. In India—where Digital Public Infrastructure, data expansion, and the gig economy are growing rapidly—this brief explores women’s opportunities in AI/data value-chain work and AI-augmented livelihoods to support economic empowerment.
Report
The Changing World of Women’s Work
- December , 2025
- Bidisha Mondal, Prakriti Sharma, Aneek Chowdhury, Anjali S
This study examines women’s participation in India’s platform economy using a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 598 platform workers (440 women) across care, domestic, beauty, ride-sharing, and delivery services with qualitative interviews. While platform work offers new entry points and flexibility, it often mirrors and deepens the precarity of informal work, limiting its potential for women’s empowerment. Persistent challenges include income instability, high entry and platform costs, limited social protection, unsafe conditions, and reinforced gender inequalities. Meaningful progress requires coordinated action by policymakers, platforms, and worker collectives to ensure fair earnings, social security, gender-sensitive systems, and effective grievance redressal
This study examines women’s participation in India’s platform economy using a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 598 platform workers (440 women) across care, domestic, beauty, ride-sharing, and delivery services with qualitative interviews. While platform work offers new entry points and flexibility, it often mirrors and deepens the precarity of informal work, limiting its potential for women’s empowerment. Persistent challenges include income instability, high entry and platform costs, limited social protection, unsafe conditions, and reinforced gender inequalities. Meaningful progress requires coordinated action by policymakers, platforms, and worker collectives to ensure fair earnings, social security, gender-sensitive systems, and effective grievance redressal
Brief
Impact of Social Norms on Women’s Economic Empowerment in India
- November , 2025
- Mridusmita Bordoloi, Surabhi Awasthi, Sharati Roy
Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) refers to women’s access to economic opportunities, resources, decent work, and the ability to make independent economic choices. It is both a process and an outcome that strengthens individual agency and supports inclusive growth. In countries like India, WEE is constrained not only by structural gaps—such as inadequate care infrastructure, poor connectivity, and limited skills access—but also by deeply rooted gender norms that shape women’s roles in society.
Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) refers to women’s access to economic opportunities, resources, decent work, and the ability to make independent economic choices. It is both a process and an outcome that strengthens individual agency and supports inclusive growth. In countries like India, WEE is constrained not only by structural gaps—such as inadequate care infrastructure, poor connectivity, and limited skills access—but also by deeply rooted gender norms that shape women’s roles in society.