Chandigarh: Despite visible social progress, women in Punjab continue to face significant barriers in entering and remaining in the workforce. Fewer women participate in the labour market than the national average, and those who do are more likely to be unemployed, according to Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data.
Labour Force Participation and Employment
The report shows Punjab's female labour force participation rate (LFPR) for those aged 15 and above stands at 30.2%, well below the national average of 40%. While Haryana fares worse at 23.8%, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh records a much higher 64.7%, highlighting the gap in women's workforce participation across the region.
The disparity is equally evident in the worker population ratio, which measures the proportion of employed persons in the population. In Punjab, only 28% of women are employed, compared with 38.8% nationally. In Himachal Pradesh, the figure is 62.2%, more than double Punjab's.
Punjab also reports a higher female unemployment rate. At 7.3%, it is more than twice the national average of 3.1% and significantly above Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, both at 4%.
Education Gains, but Gender Gap Persists
Punjab households spend more on education than the national average, reflecting rising aspirations. However, girls continue to receive lower educational investment than boys.
In rural Punjab, annual spending on a boy's education averages Rs 24,168, compared with Rs 16,927 for a girl. In urban areas, the gap narrows but remains substantial, with average spending at Rs 28,044 for boys and Rs 23,156 for girls. Overall, annual expenditure stands at Rs 25,802 for boys against Rs 19,746 for girls.
A similar pattern is visible in access to fee-paying educational institutions. In Punjab, 70.4% of boys study in institutions where course fees are paid, compared with 56.2% of girls. The gap persists in both rural and urban areas.
Health Access Remains Limited
Preventive healthcare coverage among women remains low. Only 2.4% of women aged 30-49 in Punjab have ever undergone cervical cancer screening, marginally above the national average of 1.9%.
Breast cancer screening is even more limited. Just 0.3% of women in Punjab have ever been screened, compared with the national average of 0.9%.
Punjab also records a relatively higher HIV burden. The rate of new infections stands at 0.22 per 1,000 uninfected population, more than double Haryana's 0.10 and far above Himachal Pradesh's 0.03. The national average is around 0.05.
The state has 71,278 people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), reflecting a higher treatment burden than neighbouring states.
Social Changes
The report indicates gradual social change, with women in Punjab marrying later than the national average. The mean age at marriage for women in the state was 24.5 years in 2023, compared with 22.9 years nationally.
In rural Punjab, the average age at marriage rose from 24 years in 2019 to 24.6 years in 2023. In urban areas, it remained around the mid-20s, reaching 25.1 years in 2022 before settling at 24.3 years in 2023.
