Why Women in India Earn Less And Get Fewer Jobs—Discrimination

The latest National and Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) reports that the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India is 25 per cent whereas for male LFPR it is 57.5 per cent. The difference is not surprising, yet deeply worrying. Today is Zero Discrimination Day. This annual day celebrated on 1 March each year by the United Nations and other international organisations aims to promote equality before the law and in practice throughout all of the member countries of the United Nations. Let us understand how gender-based discrimination continues to play an active role in keeping women in the margins of the labour market and economic empowerment and what can be done to combat the discrimination that women face in the labour market.