Low and declining female work participation: The case of rural West Bengal

The Census of India data reveal that the rural female work participation rate (FWPR) has declined between 2001 and 2011 in West Bengal. This decline in rural FWPR provides a rationale for further investigation into the low and declining rural FWPR in West Bengal. The heterogeneity in social, demographic, cultural, economic, and ethnographic spheres within the broad geographical area of West Bengal demand a village level analysis. This article is, therefore, an enquiry of the rural FWPR at village level and its “explaining” factors. The area of study is the six districts of West Bengal selected according to their rural FWPR. The results indicate that for all the districts, the population of the historically disadvantageous social class of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are an important determining factor for rural FWPR. The availability of work also positively influences the rural FWPR. However, the increase in literacy rate is associated with lower FWPR for all the districts. This lowering of FWPR with literacy indicates the unavailability of decent jobs for females. Some of the development indicators such as access to health, nutritional facilities, transportation, and education also play a significant role in explaining the decline in rural FWPR.