Oxfam: rural women's work doubled, but 59% of self-employed are unpaid

A new study by Oxfam India, reported on Monday, October 19, 2026, says the sharp rise in the number of rural Indian women counted as working reflects economic distress more than new job opportunities. According to the study, rural women's labour force participation rose from 24.6% in 2017-18 to 47.6% in 2023-24, but most of the increase came from self-employment, and 59% of self-employed rural women were unpaid helpers in family enterprises such as farms and small shops.

Women's participation in paid work is often used as a sign of economic progress and of women's independence. On paper, India's rural numbers look like a major advance: almost twice the share of rural women are now counted as part of the workforce compared with six years earlier. Oxfam's argument is that the headline hides what kind of work this is.

In India's labour surveys, "self-employed" covers a wide range of people, from a woman who owns and runs a shop to one who helps on her family's farm without being paid. When most of the growth is in the second group, women are working more but not necessarily earning more or gaining control over income. Oxfam reads this as a sign that families under financial pressure are pulling more members, especially women, into family work, rather than women moving into new jobs of their own.

For women's wellbeing and life balance, the issue is the double load. Unpaid work in the family enterprise usually comes on top of unpaid housework and caregiving, which official time-use surveys show women already carry far more of than men. More hours of work without pay can mean less time for rest, health and education, and little financial security. The fall in salaried jobs, which usually bring regular income, leave and social security, deepens that concern.

The role of the rural employment guarantee is also central. Women made up more than half of the work days under MGNREGA, which offered paid work close to home. How its replacement under the VB-GRAM-G Act serves women will matter for whether rural women can turn their work into income.

Short-term: The study adds to the debate over how to read India's rising women's workforce numbers, and may prompt questions about how official surveys classify unpaid family work.

Long-term: If more rural women are to gain paid, secure work, policies would need to focus on regular jobs, skills, childcare and access to credit for women-run enterprises, rather than on participation rates alone.

Who is affected: Rural women and their families, policymakers in labour and rural development, state governments running employment schemes, and researchers and organisations that track women's work.

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