India is dealing with a disturbing rise in sexual violence, forcing many women to stay at home, stay silent, and stay out of jobs. A 2018 study by the economist, Tanika Chakraborty, and her team argues that rising sexual violence and falling female workforce participation are directly linked. The study sees sexual violence not just as a crime but as a way of controlling women, keeping them afraid and limiting their freedom. This fear affects everyday decisions: whether to take a job, ride public transport, or even go out after dark.
A national study found that in places where crimes like rape, abduction, and kidnapping are high, fewer women are working, suggesting that the fear of violence, made worse by conservative family values, stops women from working. Studies from the United States of America in the 1980s also support this idea. In India, this avoidance can go so far that women drop out of the workforce altogether. Cultural expectations also play a big role. In many families, women are taught to fear the outside world. Their bodies are the site of family ‘honour’; so any risk of violence also carries a social cost.
India’s problem with sexual violence took centre stage after the horrific rape case in 2012 in Delhi. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, crimes against women have been rising over the last decade. We have witnessed more such cases that triggered more public protests for justice and stricter laws against sexual violence. In 2024, a 31-year-old doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital was raped and murdered while she was on duty. This year, a law student was gang-raped at the South Calcutta Law College, allegedly while a campus security guard did nothing. In Varanasi, 23 men raped a 19-year-old girl over several days. In Nainital, a 12-year-old was attacked by a 73-year-old man. In Mizoram, a national-level coach was caught abusing underage athletes. In Odisha, a female college student took her own life after being harassed by a teacher, a tragedy so extreme that even President Droupadi Murmu visited the hospital. These are not isolated stories. They reflect a larger pattern: violence and the pervasive fear of it influence the way women live and work in India, with serious consequences for the nation’s economy.
Between 2005 and 2010, women’s labour force participation dropped sharply: from 33.3% to 26.5% in rural India, and from 17.8% to 14.6% in urban areas. This decline continued through the 2020s. For a country chasing high economic growth, this is a red flag. The United Nations says that if women participated equally in the workforce, India’s GDP could grow by 60%. The fear of stepping out is not limited to rural or conservative families. Even in cities, many educated women turn down job offers because they do not feel safe. This shows that patriarchy is still shaping modern India.
A recently published work by the economist, Sofia Amaral, and others looks at how different types of police patrols affected harassment in Hyderabad during 2019 and 2020. They found that visible, uniformed patrols help reduce serious harassment. But this is not the case for milder, everyday kinds of harassment because many officers do not take minor offences seriously. Police teams with more progressive attitudes were more effective, showing how much police mindset matters. Better training is thus as important as boots on the ground.
This tells us something big. Fighting sexual violence is not just about having stricter laws or holding protests. It is about real change: safer streets, smarter urban planning, better reporting systems and, most of all, changing how we see women and their freedom. The Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act looks great on paper, but often fails in practice. But tools like the SHe-Box, an online platform managed by the ministry of women and child development, has made a difference by making it easier to report abuse. If India wants real progress, women should not have to choose between safety and opportunity. When women disappear from the workforce, it is not just a personal loss; it is a national crisis.
Sukanya Sarkhel is Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Calcutta