WOMEN'S INCLUSION AT TOP FOR EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION IN ASIAN COUNTRIES- A STUDY FROM INDIA

Every now and then, the issue of women's inadequate participation in economy and consequences thereof is being vehemently debated upon by economists, policy analysts, lobbyists and International organizations alike. According to World Bank's report,. Women consistently trail in labour force participation... and this is neither fair nor smart economics. (World Bank 2012.. In India though the subsidized education for girls has seen a dramatic spike in women's higher education in last decade, the same has not resulted in commensurate economic participation, especially in high end, challenging, and responsibility-laden jobs. For example, the number of women in Civil Services is a poor 8 per cent. But can countries like India afford this? Estimates show that GDP would rise by 2-3 per cent if LFPR of women could rise to 70 per cent. My paper based on an extensive literature review and a survey explores two research questions - 1. Whether adequate policies for making work places gender responsive, do exist in India? 2. Are there any implementation issues when women try to avail these policies?