National Overview

• As of 2019-20, women comprised around 19.7% of India’s formal manufacturing workforce—about 1.6 million out of 8 million factory workers.
• There are stark regional disparities in the distribution of female factory workers; southern states employ a disproportionately high share.

Statewise Patterns

States with the Highest Share of Female Factory Workers

• Tamil Nadu employed approximately 6.3 lakh (630,000) women in 2021-22, accounting for 42-43% of the entire female factory workforce in India.
• Nearly three-fourths (72%) of all women working in factories are employed in the four southern states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.
• Other states with significant shares include Telangana and some Northeastern states (e.g., Manipur, Mizoram) where the female share can exceed 40%.

States with Low Female Representation

• In 16 states and union territories, women comprised less than 10% of manufacturing employees.
• Highly industrialized states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh have large gender gaps in factory employment.

Industry Segmentation

• Textiles and apparel: Main sectors employing women in manufacturing; especially pronounced in the South.
• Tobacco: In West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Telangana, tobacco manufacturing is the second largest employer of female manufacturing workers.
• Pharmaceuticals: Particularly important in Goa and Sikkim.
• Food processing: A major sector for women in Kerala and Meghalaya.
• Brick production: Key employer in Chhattisgarh.
• In Delhi, about 25% of women in manufacturing work in vehicle and equipment manufacturing.

Trends and Insights

• The share of women in formal sector factories has remained relatively static at 19-20% over two decades.
• Despite industrial growth, gender gaps persist, especially in northern and western industrialized states.
• The trend of feminization of industrial labor is more prominent in some states, reflecting increasing numbers or proportions of women in manufacturing jobs over recent years.
• Many women also participate in the informal manufacturing sector, particularly in low-paying, low-skilled, and insecure jobs, constituting about 43% of the informal workforce in this sector.

Factors Explaining State Differences

• Southern States: Higher female factory participation is linked to strong tradition in textiles/apparel, proactive state policies, community and SHG movements, and more inclusive workplace norms.
• Northeastern States: Matrilineal cultures and smaller, community-oriented manufacturing also boost participation rates for women.
• Low-participation States: Gender norms, low industrialization in traditional sectors employing women, and lack of policy focus limit women’s factory employment.

Wage Disparities

• Across India, female industrial workers earned about INR87.06 for every INR100 earned by male counterparts in 2019-20, highlighting a persistent gender wage gap.

Key Takeaways

• Southern states—especially Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh—are the engines of female factory employment in India, accounting for the bulk of all women factory workers.
• A few industries dominate female employment (textiles/apparel, tobacco, food processing), with significant regional and sectoral variation.
• The gender gap in manufacturing is narrowing only slowly, underscoring ongoing challenges around workplace inclusivity, pay equity, and access to high-skilled roles for women.