1 week ago

NITI Aayog Flags Women’s Low Formal Employment, Urges Skilling Reform

A new NITI Aayog report studied why many people do not get lasting jobs after learning new skills.

It says only 3% of women in India have formal-sector jobs.

Many other women work in informal jobs or are not employed, studying or training.

Women may find it difficult to attend training because of childcare, safety, travel and money problems.

Some also lack permission, trusted support or information about useful programmes.

Training alone is not enough if there are no safe and flexible jobs afterward.

The report suggests cheaper training, financial help and better transport for women.

It also suggests using schools as safe places for women to learn.

Portable digital records could help women show their skills when they return to work.

Key facts

Women in formal jobs: 3% of women in India are reported to have formal-sector jobs.
Women in informal work or NEET: 71% are reported to be working informally or to be not in employment, education or training.
People outside the labour force: 79.6 crore people, or 54.9% of Indians, remain outside the labour force.
Labour-force composition: Among 65.4 crore workers, 58.4% are self-employed, 21.7% are regular wage employees and 19.8% are casual labourers.
Social-security gap: Around 7 crore non-agricultural workers have at least one social-security benefit, compared with 27 crore without any such benefit.
People trained since 2014-15: More than 7.67 crore individuals have been trained through India’s skilling ecosystem.
Women not pursuing skills: The report says 47% of women do not pursue skills, citing a lack of awareness of suitable programmes.

theprint.in · 1 week ago