Publications
Publications
Category
Year
Brief
Hybrid Work and its Effect on Women’s Labour Force Participation
- April , 2023
- Areen Deshmukh, Mitali Nikore
COVID-19 and related lockdowns disrupted the global economy and reshaped the concept of the workplace. Organisations worldwide are increasingly adopting hybrid work models that combine remote and in-office work, a trend also evident in India, where 73% of firms plan to shift to hybrid work (CBRE). Women are more vulnerable to such economic shocks due to structural inequities and their disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, which intensified during the pandemic as care institutions shut down. As a result, women’s employment in India was severely affected, with 13.4 million women (26.6%) exiting the labour force between March–April 2020. Hybrid work offers potential to support women’s labour force participation by providing flexibility for those facing caregiving responsibilities, safety concerns, or mobility constraints. This policy review analyses existing government and private-sector hybrid work policies and identifies global best practices. The study draws on a literature review of policy and legal frameworks across 60 countries, along with consultations with key stakeholders.
COVID-19 and related lockdowns disrupted the global economy and reshaped the concept of the workplace. Organisations worldwide are increasingly adopting hybrid work models that combine remote and in-office work, a trend also evident in India, where 73% of firms plan to shift to hybrid work (CBRE). Women are more vulnerable to such economic shocks due to structural inequities and their disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, which intensified during the pandemic as care institutions shut down. As a result, women’s employment in India was severely affected, with 13.4 million women (26.6%) exiting the labour force between March–April 2020. Hybrid work offers potential to support women’s labour force participation by providing flexibility for those facing caregiving responsibilities, safety concerns, or mobility constraints. This policy review analyses existing government and private-sector hybrid work policies and identifies global best practices. The study draws on a literature review of policy and legal frameworks across 60 countries, along with consultations with key stakeholders.
Brief
Emerging Priorities in the Care Sector: Opportunities for India’s G20 Presidency
- March , 2023
- Sona Mitra and Sruthi Kutty
Care work has emerged as a critical issue in shaping the women-led development agenda at the G20. This brief highlights priority concerns for India’s G20 presidency. Care work—both paid and unpaid—is essential to the functioning of economies and societies, yet it is disproportionately shouldered by women due to entrenched gender norms and the gendered division of labour. This unequal burden remains a major barrier to women’s participation in labour markets. Evidence shows that care responsibilities significantly limit women’s income-earning capacity and economic agency, with women globally spending two to ten times more time on unpaid care work than men.
Care work has emerged as a critical issue in shaping the women-led development agenda at the G20. This brief highlights priority concerns for India’s G20 presidency. Care work—both paid and unpaid—is essential to the functioning of economies and societies, yet it is disproportionately shouldered by women due to entrenched gender norms and the gendered division of labour. This unequal burden remains a major barrier to women’s participation in labour markets. Evidence shows that care responsibilities significantly limit women’s income-earning capacity and economic agency, with women globally spending two to ten times more time on unpaid care work than men.
Brief
Creating Flexible and Gender-responsive Workplaces
- March , 2023
- Shreya Ghosh | Suhani Pandey | Sonakshi Chaudhary
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a significant shift in the ‘future of work,’ with remote work rapidly becoming a global norm. In India, this shift was accompanied by a gendered impact-women faced higher job losses and slower recovery rates than men, particularly among the highly educated. Despite challenges such as lack of infrastructure and fear of career setbacks, there is a growing demand among women for flexible work arrangements. Studies show that 8 in 10 women in India now prefer greater workplace flexibility, underscoring the need for gender-responsive remote work policies. Recognising these trends, the Government of India, along with several state governments, has initiated efforts to create remote work ecosystems, including ‘Work Near Home’ centres and co-working spaces. These initiatives, especially in the services sector like IT/ITES-which employs over 4.7 million people with 35% female representation-offer a unique opportunity to boost women’s labour force participation. However, for such models to be inclusive and scalable, they must incorporate thoughtful design principles that address sector-specific challenges and prioritise women’s needs for safety, infrastructure, and digital access.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a significant shift in the ‘future of work,’ with remote work rapidly becoming a global norm. In India, this shift was accompanied by a gendered impact-women faced higher job losses and slower recovery rates than men, particularly among the highly educated. Despite challenges such as lack of infrastructure and fear of career setbacks, there is a growing demand among women for flexible work arrangements. Studies show that 8 in 10 women in India now prefer greater workplace flexibility, underscoring the need for gender-responsive remote work policies. Recognising these trends, the Government of India, along with several state governments, has initiated efforts to create remote work ecosystems, including ‘Work Near Home’ centres and co-working spaces. These initiatives, especially in the services sector like IT/ITES-which employs over 4.7 million people with 35% female representation-offer a unique opportunity to boost women’s labour force participation. However, for such models to be inclusive and scalable, they must incorporate thoughtful design principles that address sector-specific challenges and prioritise women’s needs for safety, infrastructure, and digital access.
Brief
Gender Samvaad Inaugural Event Report
- April , 2021
Gender Samvaad is a joint attempt between Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM) and the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE) to create a common platform for generating greater awareness on NRLM’s interventions across the country and best practices, with a focus on hearing voices from the states and the field. The event is part of the Azadi Amrut Mahotsav, launched by the Prime Minister of India to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence and share the glorious traditions and progress made in several areas. The Gender Samvaad was launched on April 16, 2021 at 4 PM. The online launch event brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including senior officials of the Ministry of Rural Development. In addition, it included voices of women champions from Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Kerala, who shared their experiences on how gender mainstreaming efforts within the NRLM have helped enhance their agency. A compendium of case studies presenting inspiring stories of SHG members was also released at the event.
Gender Samvaad is a joint attempt between Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM) and the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE) to create a common platform for generating greater awareness on NRLM’s interventions across the country and best practices, with a focus on hearing voices from the states and the field. The event is part of the Azadi Amrut Mahotsav, launched by the Prime Minister of India to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence and share the glorious traditions and progress made in several areas. The Gender Samvaad was launched on April 16, 2021 at 4 PM. The online launch event brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including senior officials of the Ministry of Rural Development. In addition, it included voices of women champions from Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Kerala, who shared their experiences on how gender mainstreaming efforts within the NRLM have helped enhance their agency. A compendium of case studies presenting inspiring stories of SHG members was also released at the event.
Brief
COVID-19 and Women’s Labour Crisis
- April , 2021
- Sona Mitra, Dipa Sinha
A pandemic that translates itself into an economic crisis has the potential to push women out of the labour force through several mechanisms. An economic crisis creates pressure on governments to cut down on social sector expenditures which potentially increases the burden of unpaid care and household work for women. As a result, women’s time for engaging in productive work gets reduced, having a negative impact on their labour force participation. The COVID-19 pandemic in India has had an unequal impact on women in a number of ways. In terms of economic opportunity, it has been seen that more women lost jobs compared to men and fewer have been able to rejoin labour force. This is in the context of gendered labour markets where female labour force participation has been low and declining. This paper presents an analysis of the situation of women’s employment pre-lockdown and some indications on what the impact of COVID-19 could be, based on microstudies and other literature available. Further, the adequacy of the social protection and employment generation programmes of the government that are specifically aimed at improving female labour force participation is assessed.
A pandemic that translates itself into an economic crisis has the potential to push women out of the labour force through several mechanisms. An economic crisis creates pressure on governments to cut down on social sector expenditures which potentially increases the burden of unpaid care and household work for women. As a result, women’s time for engaging in productive work gets reduced, having a negative impact on their labour force participation. The COVID-19 pandemic in India has had an unequal impact on women in a number of ways. In terms of economic opportunity, it has been seen that more women lost jobs compared to men and fewer have been able to rejoin labour force. This is in the context of gendered labour markets where female labour force participation has been low and declining. This paper presents an analysis of the situation of women’s employment pre-lockdown and some indications on what the impact of COVID-19 could be, based on microstudies and other literature available. Further, the adequacy of the social protection and employment generation programmes of the government that are specifically aimed at improving female labour force participation is assessed.
Brief
Digital Solutions for SHGs in Chhattisgarh – The COVID-19 Pandemic: Project Modifications and Learnings
- December , 2020
Women’s collectives like self-help groups (SHGs) have long played a transformative role in empowering women across India. Building on this potential, IWWAGE an initiative of LEAD at Krea University is partnering with the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) Chhattisgarh and Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions (HESPL) to train SHG members on using the **Haqdarshak** mobile application. This innovative tool helps citizens access information on over 200 central and state government welfare schemes. Trained SHG women, known as *Haqdarshikas*, earn a livelihood by offering doorstep services to their communities, enabling access to welfare entitlements for a small fee. The project adopts a sustainable, entrepreneurial model while enhancing digital literacy and economic participation among rural women. Alongside implementation, IWWAGE and LEAD are conducting an impact and process evaluation of the Haqdarshak model. This includes assessing adaptations made during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in program delivery for different training cohorts, and evolving evaluation methods. This learning note captures early implementation insights and outlines how the model is evolving to remain effective in changing contexts.
Women’s collectives like self-help groups (SHGs) have long played a transformative role in empowering women across India. Building on this potential, IWWAGE an initiative of LEAD at Krea University is partnering with the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) Chhattisgarh and Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions (HESPL) to train SHG members on using the **Haqdarshak** mobile application. This innovative tool helps citizens access information on over 200 central and state government welfare schemes. Trained SHG women, known as *Haqdarshikas*, earn a livelihood by offering doorstep services to their communities, enabling access to welfare entitlements for a small fee. The project adopts a sustainable, entrepreneurial model while enhancing digital literacy and economic participation among rural women. Alongside implementation, IWWAGE and LEAD are conducting an impact and process evaluation of the Haqdarshak model. This includes assessing adaptations made during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in program delivery for different training cohorts, and evolving evaluation methods. This learning note captures early implementation insights and outlines how the model is evolving to remain effective in changing contexts.
Brief
IWWAGE-ISI Briefs: Analysing the constraints to women’s economic participation in the context of pandemic
- November , 2020
As a part of the project undertaken by Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and IWWAGE, a set of four briefs have been developed to understand the challenges faced by women while engaging in remunerative economic activities. The briefs also evaluate the existing programmes with gender lens, that aim at unleashing women’s economic potential fully in India, and offers policy recommendations. As the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have impacted women adversely, these briefs also assess the gendered experience of the crisis, on the lives and livelihoods of women, including their physical and emotional well-being. Home production, technology and women’s time allocation The gender gap in time use, especially related to cooking and fuel collection, constrains women’s participation in remunerative activities, while also disproportionately having higher adverse health impacts for women. More efficient technology for home production in the form of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) usage for cooking may enable women to invest the time and effort saved in more productive activities and thus increase their wellbeing. This aims inducing households to switch to LPG for cooking, through information campaigns on the health benefits of clean fuels and the existing LPG subsidy. It builds on the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which seeks to expand access to clean fuel among rural households. Impact of COVID-19 on urban poor in industrial clusters: a gender lens As work opportunities in agriculture shrink, the future lies in improving women’s access to jobs in manufacturing and services. It is therefore, important to understand the demand and supply factors that determine their participation in these sectors. The project seeks to examine the profile and background of women workers in contemporary industrial and urban landscapes types of opportunities available, barriers to participation, and aspirations and expectations from industrial employment. It further aims to situate the findings within the context of existing policy and regulatory frameworks, and the implications they hold for women’s industrial employment, while also assessing the impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of women. Nudging households to increase the usage of clean fuel Air pollution is a grave public health concern and cooking with solid fuels is a major contributor, which also has a disproportionately adverse impact on women. In this project, based in Madhya Pradesh, villages were randomly assigned to a campaign by public health workers to either raise awareness about health effects of solid fuels and mitigation measures, or health awareness on the LPG subsidy programme, or a control group in which no information is provided. In the health only intervention, households become more likely to have a smoke outlet or a separate cooking room, indicating that financial constraints and design of public subsidy schemes are salient in inducing regular usage of clean fuel. Women in agriculture: gendered impact of mechanisation on labour demand The trend of mechanisation in agriculture, which increased exponentially since the 1990s, has had an adverse impact of farm employment, especially that of women. When the production process is sequential and the division of labour across complementary tasks is gendered as is the case in agriculture technological change can have a differential impact on women’s and men’s labour. By constructing a comprehensive database of multiple secondary data sources on farm employment, agricultural inputs, climate and socio-economic characteristics at the district level in India, this study explores various aspects of the gendered effects of technological change in agricultural production.
As a part of the project undertaken by Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and IWWAGE, a set of four briefs have been developed to understand the challenges faced by women while engaging in remunerative economic activities. The briefs also evaluate the existing programmes with gender lens, that aim at unleashing women’s economic potential fully in India, and offers policy recommendations. As the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have impacted women adversely, these briefs also assess the gendered experience of the crisis, on the lives and livelihoods of women, including their physical and emotional well-being. Home production, technology and women’s time allocation The gender gap in time use, especially related to cooking and fuel collection, constrains women’s participation in remunerative activities, while also disproportionately having higher adverse health impacts for women. More efficient technology for home production in the form of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) usage for cooking may enable women to invest the time and effort saved in more productive activities and thus increase their wellbeing. This aims inducing households to switch to LPG for cooking, through information campaigns on the health benefits of clean fuels and the existing LPG subsidy. It builds on the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which seeks to expand access to clean fuel among rural households. Impact of COVID-19 on urban poor in industrial clusters: a gender lens As work opportunities in agriculture shrink, the future lies in improving women’s access to jobs in manufacturing and services. It is therefore, important to understand the demand and supply factors that determine their participation in these sectors. The project seeks to examine the profile and background of women workers in contemporary industrial and urban landscapes types of opportunities available, barriers to participation, and aspirations and expectations from industrial employment. It further aims to situate the findings within the context of existing policy and regulatory frameworks, and the implications they hold for women’s industrial employment, while also assessing the impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of women. Nudging households to increase the usage of clean fuel Air pollution is a grave public health concern and cooking with solid fuels is a major contributor, which also has a disproportionately adverse impact on women. In this project, based in Madhya Pradesh, villages were randomly assigned to a campaign by public health workers to either raise awareness about health effects of solid fuels and mitigation measures, or health awareness on the LPG subsidy programme, or a control group in which no information is provided. In the health only intervention, households become more likely to have a smoke outlet or a separate cooking room, indicating that financial constraints and design of public subsidy schemes are salient in inducing regular usage of clean fuel. Women in agriculture: gendered impact of mechanisation on labour demand The trend of mechanisation in agriculture, which increased exponentially since the 1990s, has had an adverse impact of farm employment, especially that of women. When the production process is sequential and the division of labour across complementary tasks is gendered as is the case in agriculture technological change can have a differential impact on women’s and men’s labour. By constructing a comprehensive database of multiple secondary data sources on farm employment, agricultural inputs, climate and socio-economic characteristics at the district level in India, this study explores various aspects of the gendered effects of technological change in agricultural production.
Brief
Accelerating Women’s Access to Entitlements through Digital Solutions
- April , 2020
Digital innovation offers strong opportunities for women in collectives and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by strengthening connections, expanding networks, and enabling access to services. Digital platforms can help SHGs share information, deliver targeted use cases, and improve access to benefits. By addressing barriers related to mobility, cost, and literacy, digital solutions can significantly enhance women’s social and economic empowerment.
Digital innovation offers strong opportunities for women in collectives and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by strengthening connections, expanding networks, and enabling access to services. Digital platforms can help SHGs share information, deliver targeted use cases, and improve access to benefits. By addressing barriers related to mobility, cost, and literacy, digital solutions can significantly enhance women’s social and economic empowerment.
Brief
Learnings from Scoping Visit
- February , 2020
To observe different SHG groups and understand what are the methods adopted by members to produce soaps within groups, and what kinds of production training have the members experienced
To observe different SHG groups and understand what are the methods adopted by members to produce soaps within groups, and what kinds of production training have the members experienced
Brief
Digital Solutions to Unlock the Potential of SHGs and their Federations
- January , 2020
IWWAGE – an initiative of LEAD at Krea University– in partnership with the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) Chhattisgarh and Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions, is implementing a project that trains women self-help group (SHG) members as Haqdarshikas to provide doorstep access to government welfare schemes using a mobile app, Haqdarshak. A survey of 411 Haqdarshikas conducted in late 2020 revealed that while many continued to support their communities, a large number had stopped using the app, citing issues such as smartphone access, digital literacy, and low demand for services. Despite challenges, 97% of respondents reported earning income through paid work, and most remained engaged in the program, motivated by community recognition, learning, and income opportunities. The study highlights both the potential and challenges of leveraging SHG women as digital agents for last-mile delivery of entitlements and offers insights for improving retention, support, and impact of such models.
IWWAGE – an initiative of LEAD at Krea University– in partnership with the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) Chhattisgarh and Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions, is implementing a project that trains women self-help group (SHG) members as Haqdarshikas to provide doorstep access to government welfare schemes using a mobile app, Haqdarshak. A survey of 411 Haqdarshikas conducted in late 2020 revealed that while many continued to support their communities, a large number had stopped using the app, citing issues such as smartphone access, digital literacy, and low demand for services. Despite challenges, 97% of respondents reported earning income through paid work, and most remained engaged in the program, motivated by community recognition, learning, and income opportunities. The study highlights both the potential and challenges of leveraging SHG women as digital agents for last-mile delivery of entitlements and offers insights for improving retention, support, and impact of such models.
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.
Report
Exploring linkages between womens empowerment workforce participation and population dynamics in the Indian context: A comprehensive macro micro analysis
- November , 2025
Gender equality and reproductive autonomy are central to India’s ability to navigate ongoing demographic transitions effectively. The study, a collaboration between the Population Foundation of India and the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), presents new evidence on these critical interconnections. By integrating macro-level demographic and human development data with micro-level insights from women’s lived experiences, the study offers one of the most comprehensive analyses of its kind in India, bridging quantitative data with qualitative narratives to illuminate how women’s empowerment shapes the country’s demographic and developmental trajectory.
Gender equality and reproductive autonomy are central to India’s ability to navigate ongoing demographic transitions effectively. The study, a collaboration between the Population Foundation of India and the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), presents new evidence on these critical interconnections. By integrating macro-level demographic and human development data with micro-level insights from women’s lived experiences, the study offers one of the most comprehensive analyses of its kind in India, bridging quantitative data with qualitative narratives to illuminate how women’s empowerment shapes the country’s demographic and developmental trajectory.
Factsheet
Trends in Female Labour Force Participation in West Bengal
- October , 2025
- Vidhi and Bidisha Mondal
West Bengal has seen strong economic growth driven by manufacturing, MSMEs and investment, with GSDP projected to grow 12 per cent in 2025–26. However, per capita income remains below the national average. The state has lost around 3 million informal jobs in recent years, disproportionately affecting women, while high outmigration, especially of skilled workers, continues to reshape the labour market. Women remain concentrated in low-productivity informal sectors such as agriculture and domestic work, resulting in low female labour force participation and underscoring the need for targeted employment policies.
West Bengal has seen strong economic growth driven by manufacturing, MSMEs and investment, with GSDP projected to grow 12 per cent in 2025–26. However, per capita income remains below the national average. The state has lost around 3 million informal jobs in recent years, disproportionately affecting women, while high outmigration, especially of skilled workers, continues to reshape the labour market. Women remain concentrated in low-productivity informal sectors such as agriculture and domestic work, resulting in low female labour force participation and underscoring the need for targeted employment policies.
West Bengal has seen strong economic growth driven by manufacturing, MSMEs and investment, with GSDP projected to grow 12 per cent in 2025–26. However, per capita income remains below the national average. The state has lost around 3 million informal jobs in recent years, disproportionately affecting women, while high outmigration, especially of skilled workers, continues to reshape the labour market. Women remain concentrated in low-productivity informal sectors such as agriculture and domestic work, resulting in low female labour force participation and underscoring the need for targeted employment policies.
Working Paper
Working or Not: What Determines Women’s Labour Force Participation in India?
- May , 2021
- Ruchika Chaudhary
This paper delves into the persistent gender gaps in India’s labour market, highlighting the alarming decline in women’s labour force participation despite socio-economic progress. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), it examines the key factors contributing to this trend, including the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. The paper underscores the need for targeted policies, such as vocational training and gender-responsive initiatives, to empower women and break down barriers to their economic participation.
This paper delves into the persistent gender gaps in India’s labour market, highlighting the alarming decline in women’s labour force participation despite socio-economic progress. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), it examines the key factors contributing to this trend, including the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. The paper underscores the need for targeted policies, such as vocational training and gender-responsive initiatives, to empower women and break down barriers to their economic participation.
This paper delves into the persistent gender gaps in India’s labour market, highlighting the alarming decline in women’s labour force participation despite socio-economic progress. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), it examines the key factors contributing to this trend, including the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. The paper underscores the need for targeted policies, such as vocational training and gender-responsive initiatives, to empower women and break down barriers to their economic participation.