Baruah, Ashapurna  and Ankita <br/><br/>
Can agricultural growth generate higher employment for rural women in INDIA? : Debunking a persistent myth 

 - Economic & Political Weekly 
 - 61(12), Mar 21, 2026: p.64-74 
<br/><br/> Periodic Labour Force Survey data indicate a sharp rise in female employment between 2017–18 and 2022–23, with the rural female labour force participation rate increasing from 24.6% to 41.5%. This paper questions the interpretation that this increase reflects agricultural growth or improved rural amenities. Examining trends in agricultural labour demand, employment status, and wages, it finds declining labour requirements in agriculture, rising unpaid family work, and stagnant real wages. These patterns suggest that the recent increase in the female labour force participation rate is more closely associated with rural distress than with improved economic opportunities. The paper thus highlights the limits of agriculture-led strategies for expanding women’s employment. –Reproduced<br/><br/>https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/12/special-articles/can-agricultural-growth-generate-higher-employment.html<br/>