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Unit 10: Women's Empowerment

Table 10.2 Break-up of Percentage of Female Workers Notes

Category 1961 1971 1981

Cultivators 15.45 3.61 4.77
Agricultural labourers 6.87 6.18 6.58
Other workers 5.61 2.34 3.09
Total female workers 27.93 12.13 14.44

Of the total women in the workforce in India, out of every 100 employed women, 52.59 are
illiterate, 28.56 are educated up to primary and middle school, 13.78 are educated upto secondary
school, and 5.07 are graduates and above. In the urban areas, out of every 100 employed women,
25.83 are illiterate, 35.49 are educated up to primary and middle school, 25.71 are educated up to
secondary school, and 12.97 are graduates and above. In the rural areas, out of every 100 employed
women, 88.11 are illiterate, 10.68 are educated up to primary and middle school, and 1.21 are
educated above middle school.

Work Motivations
Why do women seek employment? The motivation to work among women is different from that
of men. Though the main reason appears to be ‘monetary need’ but it will be wrong to say that all
women pursue a job only with this motive. On the basis of a study of 728 working women, the
important factors in seeking jobs are poined out as : insufficient wages of husband, death of
husband, illness of husband, non-support by husband, desertion by husband, and preference for
work outside the home. Broadly speaking, 89.0 per cent of the women were found to be working
due to economic necessity. A study of 225 working women in Jaipur (Rajasthan) in 1989 by Deepa
Mathur (1992 : 23) identified six motivational factors in women’s employment : economic necessity
or augmenting meagre family income (22.7%), security against future contingencies (20.0%),
improvement of living standard (20.4%), escape from boredom or social affiliation (17.3%), personal
esteem (12.4%), and self-fulfilment (7.2%). Thus, 63.0 per cent women worked for financial reasons
and 37.0 per cent for non-financial reasons. When the women were asked that given an option to
choose all over again, would they prefer being full-time housewives or full-time employees with
householder’s role, 52.0 per cent preferred only a domestic role and 48.0 per cent favoured a
combination of work and marriage. Thus, a little more than half of the women were found eager
to work and a little less than half were found reluctant to work. The measurement of the motivational
level pointed out that 47.6 per cent women had a high motivational level (that is, desire for work
was sustained and kept up by a composite of several factors), 35.1 per cent had a moderate
motivational level, and 17.3 per cent had a low motivational level. The high motivational level
was found related to high level of education, higher job satisfaction, and young age. In 29.0 per
cent cases, the source of motivation was family of orientation (parents, siblings), in 23.0 per cent
cases family of procreation (husband, in-laws), in 9.0 per cent cases friends and teachers, and in
39.0 per cent cases self-inspiration.
Like factors which increase the propensity of motivation to work, there are some factors which
mitigate this propensity. The demotivating factors in Deepa Mathur’s study were found to be :
nonavailability of suitable jobs (49%), lack of skill (20%), lack of desire to work (18%),
discouragement from husband/inlaws (8%), and incompatibility with husband’s job requirement
(5%).
Dual Role Satisfaction
How many women remain satisfied with the dual roles? If an earning woman attempts and
succeeds in merging her working role with the general roles of mother and wife, she will be
considered as a woman who is satisfied with her dual roles. The ‘high’ satisfaction implies being

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