Word Count : 1201

---

The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a global economic crisis with deep and differential impacts on various social groups, especially women and marginalized communities. In India, the crisis disproportionately affected women in multiple spheres—productive, reproductive, and social—deepening pre-existing gender inequalities. Focusing on the productive sphere and situating the discussion within the development and informal economy context, we can understand how structural inequalities intensified the vulnerability of women and diverse groups. ### Pre-pandemic Gendered Economic Landscape in India Before the pandemic, India already had one of the lowest female labour force participation rates (FLFPR) globally. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2018–19, the FLFPR was around 24% compared to 74% for men. A significant proportion of women were engaged in the informal sector, constituting about 91% of the female workforce (ILO, 2018). These women lacked social security, job security, and access to formal institutional support. Women were overrepresented in sectors that were among the hardest hit by the lockdown and economic shutdowns—such as domestic work, garment and textile industries, construction, street vending, and agriculture. They also carried the unpaid burden of care work, which expanded due to school closures and overwhelmed health systems. ### Impact on Employment and Income The CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) data indicates that during the initial national lockdown in April 2020, 122 million people lost their jobs. Women accounted for 23% of these job losses, although they represented a much smaller fraction of the workforce. Further, recovery rates for women were slower compared to men. By November 2020, only 7% of men who had lost their jobs remained unemployed, whereas 47% of women remained out of work (Azim Premji University, "State of Working India 2021"). Empirical studies reveal that women were more likely to experience permanent job losses, exit the labour force entirely, or shift ______ ___ ___ ________ ______ __________ _________ _____ ____ ____ __________ ______.
____ ___ __________ ______ ________ ________ ____ ____ ______ ____ __________.
____ ____ _______ ______ _______.
______ ________ _________ ____ _______ __________ _____ _____ ___ ________ _______.
______ ___ _______ ____ __________ _______ _____ _______ __________.
____ _____ ________ ____ _________ ____ _________ _______ ____ _____ _______.
_________ ______ __________ _________ _______ _________ _______ _____ ________ ______ _______ _________.
______ _________ _______ ______ _________ _______ __________ _____ __________ ____ ____ ________.
___ _______ _________ __________ ______ ____ ___ __________ _____ ____ _______.
__________ ________ ____ ___ ____.
______ _____ ______ ___ _________ __________ ______ _________ _______ ___.
___ __________ _________ _______ ____ ______ ___ _____ ______ __________.
____ __________ ____ ________ _____ ________ ____ ____ ___.
_________ _____ __________ ______ ______ ________ _____ ___ ________ _________.
____ _______ __________ ___ ________ ________ _______ __________ _________.
_____ ______ ______ _________ ________.
__________ ____ _________ _______ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____.
__________ ___ _____ __________ ____ _________ _______.
____ ________ _____ ______ ________ _____ ___ __________ ________.
_________ ____ ______ ________ ___ _________ __________ _______ ____ _______ _________ ___.
____ ____ ____ ___ _____.
________ _______ __________ ______ ________ ________.
_________ _____ __________ ___ _________ ___ ________ ___ ______.
__________ _______ ______ ___ ______ ______ _____ ______ ______ _____.
_____ __________ _____ _________ ___ ___ ______ ________ _________ _____ ____.
____ ____ ____ ______ __________ _______ ____ _______ ____ ________.
____ ______ _______ ____ _______ _________ ________ _____ _______ _____ ______.
_______ ________ ______ ________ ________ ____ ____ ________.
_________ _________ ______ __________ ______ _______ _________ _______ __________ _____ ____ _______.
________ __________ _________ _____ _______ ______ _________ _____ ________ ___.
___ ________ ____ ______ ________ _______ _________.
_____ _____ _______ __________ __________ _________ _____.
_______ ________ ___ _____ _____ _________ _______ _________ ___ _________.
_____ _____ ______ _______ ___ __________ _____ _______ __________.
________ _______ ______ __________ ________ ____ ________ __________ _____ _________ _______ _________.
________ _____ ___ ___ _____ ________ ______ _______ _________ _________.
_____ _____ _________ ___ _______.
______ ________ _________ ____ ________ _________ _________ _______ ____ ___ ______.
__________ ________ __________ ____ ____ ____.
_____ _________ _________ _________ ________ _____ ________ ____ ____ ________.
_____ __________ __________ _____ ______ ______ ______.
____ _________ ________ _________ ____ ____ ____ ________.
____ ________ _______ _______ ______ __________ _____ _________ _________ _______.
______ _________ _________ ____ __________ ________ ______ _______ _____ _____ ___.
___ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ _________ ________.
________ _____ _____ __________ __________ _____ ____ ________ _________ ________ ____ _____.
______ ___ ___ _____ _________ _______ ___ ______ ________ ___ _______.
______ ____ ___ _________ ___ _____ ______ ______ __________ _______.
__________ ___ ___ ____ _________ ___ _____ _____ _________.
__________ ___ ______ __________ ____.
_________ __________ _______ ________ ____.
________ _____ __________ __________ _______ _____ ___ ______ ____ _____ __________ ___.
___ _____ _______ ___ ______ ____ ___ __________ _____ _______ _______.
_________ ____ ______ _________ ___ __________ ______ ________.
__________ ___ _____ _______ _____ _____ ____ _________.
______ _______ ________ _____ ___ __________ __________ ___ ______.
_____ ________ __________ _____ _______ _______.
__________ _______ _______ ______ ______ ______ ________ ___ ___ _____ ______ ______.
_________ _____ _____ ________ _________ _________ __________ __________ _______ _______.
_______ ________ ______ ______ _____ _______ ________ __________ _______ ________ _____.
_______ ________ ______ ________ __________ _________ ______ ______ __________ _____.
_____ _____ _________ ___ ______ _________ ______.
________ ________ __________ ____ __________ _______ ____.
_________ __________ ___ _________ _______ ________ ___ _________.
_______ ____ ___ ____ __________ _______.
_________ __________ _____ ___ _________ ___ ________ __________ _____.
_____ _______ ____ _____ _____ _______ ________ ________.
______ ____ _______ ___ _________ _______.
_____ ________ ____ ___ ________.
________ __________ ___ _________ __________ ___ _________ ___ _____ ____ ____ ______.
_________ ___ ________ _______ ___ ______ ______ _____ _________.
__________ _____ _____ ____ _________ _______ _______ _____ _________ _____ ______ _____.
____ _____ _______ _______ ______ _______ _________ ________ ______ ______ _________ _________.
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ _______.
________ _________ ______ __________ _________ ________.
__________ ________ _________ _______ _______ ________ _________ _____.
______ _______ _____ ______ _____ _____ ____ ________ ___ __________ _______.
__________ ______ _______ __________ _______.
_________ ____ __________ _______ ____ ________ _____ _____ _________ _________ __________ ____.
_____ ___ _______ ___ _____ _________ ______ __________ ____.
_____ ___ ____ ________ ______ __________ _______ ______ _____ __________ _________ ________.
____ ____ __________ _________ ____ ___ ________ ______ _____ __________.
_______ ___ _____ __________ _____ ______ __________.
_______ _____ _____ ____ ___ ____ ______ __________ ____ _______ ________ ____.
________ ___ _____ _________ _______ ______ ___ ________.
___ ________ ____ ________ ____ _________ _____ ____ ___ ______ _______ __________.
________ ____ _____ ______ _________ ___ _________ __________.
_______ _______ _____ ______ ____ _______ ________.
_________ ____ _____ __________ ____.
_____ ______ __________ ___ _______ __________ ____ __________ ___.
____ ___ ___ __________ ____ _____ ________.
_______ _______ ________ _______ __________ ________ ___.
___ ________ ___ _______ __________ ________ _______ ___ _____.
____ ________ _________ _______ ________ _____ _____ ______.
____ ________ _______ _______ _______ ____ ___ __________.
__________ ______ _____ __________ ______ ________ ______ __________ _______ ______.
_____ ___ ______ _____ _______ ________ _____ ______ ____.
_______ _________ _______ _____ ______.
______ __________ _______ ______ ___ _____ _______ __________ ________.
____ _____ __________ __________ _________.
___ __________ _______ ____ _________ _______ ________ _______ ________ ______.
________ ________ _________ __________ _______.
Get Full Answer on WhatsApp