01308nam a22001097a 4500008004100000100003500041245011100076260003200187300003400219520091300253773003201166260429b           ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  a Baruah, Ashapurna  and Ankita  aCan agricultural growth generate higher employment for rural women in INDIA? : Debunking a persistent myth  aEconomic & Political Weekly  a61(12), Mar 21, 2026: p.64-74  aPeriodic 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

https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/12/special-articles/can-agricultural-growth-generate-higher-employment.html
  aEconomic & Political Weekly