The conspicuous absence of women in India’s labour force is well-researched, yet the underlying causes remain insufficiently explored. Conventional analyses often attribute this gap to societal gender norms, domesticity constraints, and cultural expectations. However, such explanations overlook the deep-seated inefficiencies embedded within the broader ecosystem. This calls for a critical examination of whether supply-side infrastructure — transport, sanitation, safety, and workplace facilities — provides an enabling environment for women’s participation in the workforce.
Despite a significant improvement in higher educational attainment among women, women’s participation in work remains dismally low, especially in urban areas with male labour force participation being 70% and the corresponding figure for women standing at 27%. As per the ministry of labour and employment (2023), only 53% of women are working in the unorganised sector. In other words, a significant section of India’s labour force remains underutilised and is not contributing to its growth.
Why are we still facing such vast labour participation gaps across genders?
Several studies and opinion articles have attributed the reasons to the disproportionate burden of care work falling on women (over three times than that of men), gaps in skilling, and the fact that several workspaces, such as STEM, driving, masonry, remain inaccessible to women.
While these are critical explanations for labour force participation remaining skewed along gender lines, we found through a study conducted by Sabar Institute and Azad Foundation that the lack of gender-inclusive infrastructure, particularly clean, safe, hygienic and accessible toilets, to be an under-reported but significant factor hindering women’s participation in the labour force.
This study clearly highlights some critical factors related to inadequate infrastructure that adversely impacts women’s productivity while participating in economic activities.
Women working in the unorganised sector in Calcutta end up paying 10% of their income for using public toilets. This additional economic burden turns out to be counterproductive for them.
About 30% of the women reported that sanitation and hygiene levels in these public toilets were unsatisfactory, turning these sites into a health risk. This, subsequently, becomes a primary cause for women avoiding their usage leading to the adoption of unhealthy coping mechanisms like drinking less water. The respondents also said that they avoided using these facilities due to inadequate safety measures like the absence of a woman security guard, malfunctioning latches and locks, poor lighting and so on.
The consequences are revealing. Absence from work especially during menstrual cycles or on account of periodic urinary tract infections and gastro-intestinal issues: 28% of the women felt that the lack of gender sensitive public facilities adversely impacted their ability to work, besides restricting their mobility and hindering their productivity.
What can be done to reverse this trend? Systematic and periodic evidence is required on the status of public toilets across the country to understand the depth of the crisis. The findings from such studies can help municipal authorities identify the localities that need targeted intervention. Key public infrastructure can become gender expansive only when steps, from planning the design, are gender inclusive. Technology needs to be leveraged to address issues related to locating these facilities across various areas of the city.
Safe, hygienic and inclusively designed public infrastructure would also mean improved indicators around SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 8 (promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent
work for all).