Working moms-in-law lift female employment in India, study says
In urban households where the mother-in-law is employed, daughters-in-law are 70% more likely to be employed, and 50% more likely in rural areas, according to the State of Working India 2023 report by Azim Premji University released this week.
Mothers-in-law are often feared or revered by younger Indian women, who traditionally move into the groom’s family after marriage. Gender norms, amplified by strong intergenerational effect, play a crucial role in the lives of Indian women that could make up half of the labor pool.
The report also found that the pandemic has pushed more women into self employment.
Before Covid, 50% of women were self-employed. That has risen to 60%, resulting in a decline in real earnings.
The workforce participation rate for women in India is rising, “but not for the right reasons,” wrote the authors, led by Associate Professor Amit Basole.
