AS per the ILO's Global Employment Trends 2013 Report Women in South Asia are far less likely than men to have a job or to be looking for one while 80 per cent of men in the region are either employed or searching for a job. The number for women is a lot lower - 32 per cent, which are low rates largely due to cultural attitudes and social norms about women in the workplace and women's participation in the labour market.

The   ILO's Global Employment Trends 2013 report states that India's labour force participation rate for women fell from just over 37 per cent in 2004-05 to 29 per cent in 2009-10. Out of 131 countries for which the data is available, India ranks 11th from the bottom in female labour force participation.

Despite very rapid economic growth in India in recent years, declining female labour force participation rates across all age groups is observed, across all education levels, and in both urban and rural areas. The trend can be partly explained by the fact that increasing numbers of women of working age are enrolling in secondary schools and by rising household incomes, as women in wealthier households tend to have lower participation rates. But this is only part of the picture, according to Kapsos.

Other potential causes include measurement issues, whereby women's employment may be undercounted, as well as a general decline in employment opportunities for women, as they face increased competition with men for scarce jobs. The global financial crisis and deficient monsoon rains in 2009 may have also contributed to the decline.