Abstract

The paper examines the work participation rate (WPR) of women in Indian states based on the census conducted in 2001. As per 2001 census, the WPR of women was 25.6% in India though they constituted 48.27% of the total population. It was well documented that the educational condition of women has improved in the past few decades but their WPR is still low. Here, the paper tried to see reasons behind this anomaly. There are many determinants of WPR but the author limit this paper to education. The paper is based on the hypothesis of increasing women WPR with educational development. The correlation matrix between occupational composition and educational development shows significant relation. This implies that education is one of the reasons for increasing WPR. In addition, it was found that women with primary education are actively engaged in agricultural sector. Finally, the paper concludes with some general observations and suggestions.

Key words: Gender inequality, economic participation, education, workers, regional analysis.