A report from the Delhi government highlights an increase in the number of women participating in the labor force of the national capital, though their wages continue to lag behind those of men, despite some variations over the years. The recently released Delhi State Framework Indicator report on sustainable development goals by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics indicates that the female to male labor force participation rate rose from 0.19 in 2017-18 to 0.28 in 2023-24. The female labor force participation rate also increased from 11.2 percent in 2017-18 to 14.5 percent in 2023-24, with fluctuations recorded at 13.7 in 2018-19, 12.8 in 2019-20, 10.7 in 2020-21, 9.4 in 2021-22, and 11.3 in 2022-23.
This ratio reflects the relative number of women in the economically active population compared to men. In terms of daily wages for laborers employed outside of public works, men earned Rs 403 and women Rs 300 during the July-September quarter of 2017-18. By the same quarter in 2023-24, these wages increased to Rs 548 for men and Rs 500 for women. In the April-June quarter of 2017-18, men earned Rs 376 while women earned Rs 400, but in 2023-24, wages rose to Rs 556 for men and Rs 500 for women. The Directorate has also created the Delhi State Indicator Framework 2024 to track progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The report emphasizes the need for reforms to ensure women have equal rights to economic resources, including access to property ownership, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources, in line with national legislation. Additionally, it notes a decline in the ratio of women to men in professional and technical roles, dropping from 28.5 percent in 2020-21 to 21.3 percent in 2022-23.