Caste-Based Differences in Women’s Employment: Continuity and Change

Nisha Srivastava () and Rahul Ranjan ()
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Nisha Srivastava: Institute for Human Development (IHD)
Rahul Ranjan: Regional Institute of Education (NCERT)

Chapter 13 in Women and Work in India: Challenges, Opportunities and Perspectives for Policy, 2026, pp 305-330 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This study analyses how caste-based disparities in women’s employment in India have changed across four survey periods—1993–94, 2011–12, 2017–18 and 2023–24. It examines workforce participation, occupational patterns and job quality to assess whether gaps between Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women and those from Other castes have narrowed. While overall female labour force participation fluctuated, dropping sharply in 2017–18 before rising again in 2023–24, caste inequalities remain persistent. SC and ST women continue to be concentrated in low-quality, insecure and informal jobs, whereas women from Other castes are overrepresented in more secure and better-paid work. The 2017–18 period marks a notable disruption in longer-term trends. Overall, the study shows both continuity and change, emphasising the need for targeted policy interventions that recognise caste-based differences among women workers as India aims to improve women’s employment and ensure more inclusive economic growth.

Keywords: Caste-based disparities in women’s employment; Sopher’s disparity index; Absolute and relative disparity indicators; Workforce participation of SC women; Economic precarity; Gender and caste as intersecting axes of disadvantage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:isbchp:978-981-95-6103-2_13

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-6103-2_13

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