Gender, Informality, and Precarity in the Construction Sector: A Sociological Analysis of Women Workers
India has witnessed a gradual increase in women's Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), particularly following the introduction of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in 2017–18. However, this increase has not been accompanied by a corresponding expansion of secure and formal employment opportunities. Instead, a significant proportion of women remain concentrated in informal and low-paid occupations characterized by irregular employment, unstable incomes, and inadequate social protection. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2018), more than 61 per cent of the world's employed population, representing nearly 2 billion workers, are engaged in informal employment. While globally 58 per cent of employed women and 63 per cent of employed men work in the informal economy, the prevalence of informal employment is considerably higher in developing countries, where 92 per cent of employed women and 87 per cent of employed men are employed informally. These statistics demonstrate that women are disproportionately employed in informal jobs in developing nations, which leaves them more susceptible to low pay, precarious work, insufficient labour rights, and restricted social security benefits.
