Women's employment rate rises to 39 pc in 2025, says Mansukh Mandaviya

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed new, enabling opportunities opening up for women, leading to a transformative improvement in female employment indicators, he said while addressing a Swiggy event, SwigStree here.

The women's employment rate has increased to 39 per cent in 2025 from 22 per cent in 2017, indicating a rise in work opportunities for them, Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. ''Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed new, enabling opportunities opening up for women, leading to a transformative improvement in female employment indicators,'' he said while addressing a Swiggy event, SwigStree here. He informed that the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) has risen from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 40 per cent in 2025. The Female Worker Population Ratio (FWPR) has correspondingly increased from 22 per cent in 2017 to nearly 39 per cent in 2025, he added. Further, the Female Unemployment Rate (FUR) has declined from 5.6 per cent to 3.1 per cent, suggesting that women who seek employment are now more successfully finding it, he noted. Various survey reports have indicated that women are getting more employment opportunities, he pointed out. The equitable participation of women in the workforce is both a social imperative and an economic necessity, he added. ''Empowering women is central to building a Viksit Bharat,'' he affirmed. The minister also stressed the nearly three-fold expansion in India's social security coverage in the last ten years, from 19 per cent in 2015 to over 64.3 per cent in 2025, reflecting the outcome of sustained policy action across domains like labour law reform, digital inclusion, and targeted welfare delivery. He highlighted that the Code on Social Security (CoSS) was introduced in 2020 to formally recognise gig and platform workers. These workers, many of whom are women, now have a legal identity and access to social security, he said. ''The principle of equal pay for equal work has been enshrined in the Codes, a landmark step towards eliminating wage discrimination on the basis of gender,'' he added. The Labour Codes also provide for work-from-home provisions, maternity leave entitlements, and the establishment of crèche facilities at places of employment, measures that directly address the structural barriers that have historically prevented women from sustaining their participation in the workforce, Mandaviya elaborated. He also mentioned the unique potential of gig and platform work in furthering women's economic empowerment. ''Women delivery partners are not only supporting their families but also driving societal progress, inspiring future generations, and strengthening the nation's economic and social fabric,'' the minister remarked. At the event, he felicitated women delivery partners across Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart, who demonstrated extraordinary courage and perseverance. Sriharsha Majety, co-founder and Group CEO at Swiggy, and other dignitaries were also present at the event. The event brought together women delivery partners from Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart, who have overcome significant socio-economic hardships to earn a dignified livelihood and support their families.