Study on Women’s Labour Force Participation

Examining the household, social, and institutional factors shaping women's labour force participation in Madhya Pradesh.

Project Introduction

This study examines the factors shaping women’s labour force participation in Madhya Pradesh, exploring household composition, employment patterns, participation in MGNREGS, and community attitudes towards gender roles. It aims to document how access to public employment programmes, gender norms around women’s roles, and intra-household decision-making contribute to women’s choices about entering, staying in, or leaving the labour market, while also examining variation across different districts and demographic groups to understand the interplay of region-specific and social factors.

Partners

Researchers

(1) more researchers

Project Methodology

This ongoing large-scale baseline survey, conducted in 2025 across multiple districts of Madhya Pradesh, covers over 70,000 households. The data collection team includes over one hundred members — surveyors, supervisors, field managers, logistics managers, and audio auditors — responsible for conducting interviews, ensuring adherence to protocols, addressing real-time field challenges, and maintaining rigorous data quality standards throughout the survey period, which ran from January to June 2025 across the sampled districts.

Impact

The data generated will serve as a foundation for future research and policy design intended to address gaps in women’s labour force participation. By documenting how household, social, and institutional factors shape women’s choices about entering, remaining in, or leaving the labour market, the study will help inform strategies to support women’s economic engagement through policy interventions tailored to Madhya Pradesh’s local contexts and demographic diversity.

Documentation

This project is currently in progress, and will be updated with findings as results arise.

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