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Counted In, Left Behind

Women's Workforce Participation in India and the Road to 2047

India recorded one of the fastest rises in female labour force participation in modern statistical history, from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, then plateaued near 40%. This paper examines what that rise actually represents, what keeps India's participation among the lowest of any major economy, and what it would take to reach 70% by 2047.