Women in Manufacturing: Current Situation
Manufacturing is a key part of India’s Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision, but women are largely missing from formal factory jobs.
Women's share in formal manufacturing dropped from 20.9% (2015–16) to 18.9% (2022–23).
Tamil Nadu alone employs 41% of all women in formal manufacturing, showing a heavy regional concentration.
In informal manufacturing, women form 43% of the workforce, but these jobs are low-paid and lack security.
This shows that women are working, but mostly in informal and lower-quality jobs.
Regional and Sectoral Disparities
Five States (including Tamil Nadu) employ nearly 75% of all women in formal manufacturing jobs.
States like West Bengal, U.P., and Maharashtra contribute heavily to the informal women’s workforce too.
States such as Bihar, West Bengal, and Haryana have very low formal female participation—less than 6%.
Even industrialised States like Gujarat and Maharashtra have under 15% female participation in formal manufacturing.
Most women are concentrated in a few industries: textiles, apparel, and food in the formal sector; apparel and tobacco in the informal sector.
Key Issues and Challenges
Tobacco is the only formal industry where women outnumber men; in informal tobacco, 90% of workers are women.
Most of these jobs are low-paying, lack safety, and have poor working conditions.
There is little variety in industries where women work, and most of their jobs are in low-skill, repetitive roles.
Only 6% of women have received vocational or on-the-job training, limiting their chances for better employment.
Educational gaps are also stark — only 30% of women in manufacturing have completed secondary education or higher, compared to 47% of men.
Way Forward
Skill training and upskilling must be prioritised to help women access better, formal manufacturing jobs.
Higher education among women should be promoted to improve job readiness.
Sectoral diversification is needed so women are not limited to just a few low-paying industries.
Safe and supportive work environments are essential to attract and retain women; Tamil Nadu’s ‘Thozhi’ scheme (working women’s hostels) is a good example for other States.
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