UP Moving Towards $1 Trillion Dream, But Are Women Missing From Growth Story?

Tamil Nadu has a female worker population ration of 41.5 per cent, Maharashtra 39.1 per cent against only 33.6 per cent in UP.

26 Jun 2026, 05:17 · www.ndtv.com

From expressways to airports, Uttar Pradesh's growth story is accelerating. UP ranks among the top 3 states with largest GDP size and is rapidly moving towards its $1 trillion economy goal by 2029. But, women participation in the formal workforce is still a concern.

"India's female Labour Force Participation Rate is generally low compared to many other advanced and developing economies, but the situation in UP needs particular attention considering the large size of the population," according to the UDAITI-QUESS Joint Report on Uttar Pradesh Employment scenario.

The state's female LFPR is much lower than that of several other large states, such as Andhra Pradesh (51.5%), Rajasthan (50.5%), Maharashtra (44.9%), Tamil Nadu (43.9%), and Karnataka (43.2%). This disparity highlights the need for targeted efforts to increase female participation in the workforce in UP, it added.

Low Female Worker Population Ratio In UP

Worker Population Ratio shows the proportion of an economy's working-age population that is employed. Comparing states with similar economic size as UP, data suggests that females severely lag in WPR too. Tamil Nadu has a female WPR of 41.5 per cent, Maharashtra 39.1 per cent against only 33.6 per cent in UP, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Stagnant Private Jobs For Women

The number of female employees entering the public sector is still growing, however, that in private jobs is almost stagnant. Between 2022-23 and June 2025, the female employees in the public sector rose from 2.12 lakh to 3.35 lakh, however, that in the private sector rose from 1.11 lakh to 1.22 lakh, according to the UP Economic Survey 2025-26.

In contrast, among the total employed women in the state, 78.8 per cent are engaged in agriculture and allied sectors, while only 44 per cent of the total employed men are engaged in these sectors. This shows that four out of every five employed women in the state are working in agriculture.

Is Low Urbanisation The Missing Link?

Women's employment holds special importance not only for empowerment, self-reliance, and social upliftment, but also for the overall advancement of families. It is believed that urbanisation shifts economies from agriculture to services and industry. Services such as education, healthcare, retail, hospitality are less physically demanding and more inclusive for women.

"Changes in the spatial and sectoral patterns of economic activity that often accompany long-run economic growth-such as urbanisation, the shift to services, and increasing trade openness-may generate demand for female labor, opening up opportunities for women to join the workforce," according to a World Bank report.

Ironically, Uttar Pradesh is one of the least urbanised states in India. Only 23.7 per cent of UP's population lived in urban areas in 2021, according to the Handbook of Urban Statistics 2022. In comparison, urbanisation in Chandigarh and Delhi is more than 99 per cent while that in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra are 52.8 per cent and 48 per cent respectively.

It is not that the government is unaware of the fact or the emphasis has not been laid. The UP government in its latest economic survey has mentioned about the low female workforce participation.

"The government is particularly focusing on enhancing female labour force participation, which includes ensuring safe working environments for women, promoting financial empowerment through self-help groups, and encouraging entrepreneurship," the economic survey said.

With the state election coming up, the female-centric schemes and issues may take the spotlight as UP's inclusive growth can take place only by including women in its growth story.

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