<P> The female labor participation rate in India from 1901 to 1951 was between 28 and 34 percent, which is higher than the level of participation observed in 1990 . This rate also varies from state to state . Regions in northern India (which have been observed to be more patriarchal) have lower participation rates for women than the states in southern India, where women have more freedom to participate in the formal economy . SEWA (the Self Employed Women's Association) recently found that the average wage of women workers was Rs. 1815 while the average wage for men was Rs. 3842 . </P> <P> Some of the main factors that contribute to the existing gender pay gap in India are: </P> <P> The rate of female participation in the paid labor market is generally low, and is primarily concentrated in rural areas in the agricultural sector . In rural north India, it has been observed that labor is divided sharply on the basis of gender . Certain activities in agriculture have been assigned specifically to women, like drying and storing the grain, while other tasks like plowing and harvesting are only performed by men . Female labor participation in India has been observed to be higher in sectors involving personal services and care work, and is also higher in informal sectors, especially in agriculture . </P> <P> While social and cultural norms vary from state to state within India, one commonality that has been observed is the exclusion of women from the paid labor market and status based segregation of labor . Ironically, women from higher castes faced more difficulty when they tried to obtain paid work, even if their survival depended on it . In interviews conducted with widows from rural North India, they stated that if attempts were made to seek gainful employment outside their homes, they would be forced to give up their property rights and made to leave the villages they live in, indicating that paid work was not a feasible option even to sustain themselves due to the existing social norms . Because childcare is viewed primarily as a woman's job, women often take part - time jobs or take time off during their careers to care for their families . When women return to work after a break, they are paid lower wages than their male colleagues . Women employed full - time ordinarily already earned 34% less than men, but when compared to part - time working women, the pay gap further increased as they earned almost 42% less than men . Additionally, even if women do not have children, it has been observed that they still face pay discrimination as they are viewed as potential mothers, who may require a break from work in the near future . </P>

Gender inequality in work and wages in india