Cong: Sad reality of ‘Amrit Kaal’, women earning less today than six years ago

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday alleged the women workforce are earning less today than six years ago and it is the sad reality of ‘Amrit kaal’.

Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh in a statement accused the BJP government of making desperate attempts to doctor data on labour force participation rates of women.

“Never has economic data been doctored as it has been during the last decade of the non-biological

Prime Minister,” Ramesh alleged in a statement.

He said the latest example is the celebration of what is being hailed as the “phenomenal story” of the “steady surge” in the women’s labour force participation ratio (LFPR) from 27 per cent in 2017/18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023/34.

“This is completely bogus. The increase in women’s LFPR shown is primarily driven by rural women, whose entry into the labour force is driven by economic distress,” he said.

This, the Congress leader said, is clear from the following: “The proportion of rural women engaged in self-employment has jumped

sharply from 57.7 per cent (2017-18) to 73.5 per cent (2023-24) and self-employment has risen among urban women also, from 34.8 per cent (2017-18) to 42.3 per cent (2023-24).”

He said the unpaid family work by rural and urban women has risen from 31.7 per cent (2017-18) to 36.7 per cent (2023-24).

“84% of the increase in the total women’s LFPR between 2017-18 and 2023-24 is accounted for by self-employment, which includes unpaid family work,” the Congress leader claimed.

Sharing a chart, Ramesh said it clearly illustrates the sharp decline in the quality of female jobs over the past decade.

“Any modernising economy undergoes structural transformation as workers move from low-paying

agricultural jobs to better prospects in manufacturing

and service industries,” Congress general secretary further said.