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The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO) Made possible in part through funding form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Why Are There so Many Women Informal Workers in India?

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Deepa, an Indian domestic worker
Deepa, an Indian domestic worker
A photo of Deepa, a domestic worker and member of the Self Employed Women's Association, a group with more than 1.5 million women informal worker members in India.

Despite India’s rapid growth in the last decade, around 95 percent of women are not in the formal sector. Women leaders share how to move forward.

According to the International Labor Organization, 81.8 percent of women’s employment in India is concentrated in the informal economy—that is, work that is not taxed or is under the table. On today’s episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we examine why India has one of the highest rates of women in the informal sector and what can be done to get them more rights, income, and support. Host Reena Ninan first speaks with Deepa, a domestic worker and union member of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), which has more than 1.5 million women informal worker members. Then Ninan speaks with SEWA’s Punjab state coordinator Harsharan Kaur, who describes how SEWA advances the rights and economic empowerment of women informal workers. After that, Ninan talks to Institute of Social Studies Trust research fellow Monika Banerjee, who specializes in women informal workers in India, and, finally, the chief economist for South Asia at the World Bank, Hans Timmer.

To hear more about women informal workers in India, listen to our latest episode on this page or subscribe on your favorite podcast app—and thank you to Apple Podcasts, which just listed HERO as a New & Noteworthy Podcast! The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a Foreign Policy podcast supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO):  Could empowering women in the workplace be the simplest way to boost the global economy? Host Reena Ninan talks to women around the world changing the status quo in surprising ways to improve their lives, their families, and ultimately, the world. The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HER♀) is a Foreign Policy podcast supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. HER listeners can learn more about these topics by signing up for special access to an FP Analytics policy brief on gender equality. Sign up by clicking here.  See All Episodes

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More The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO) episodes:

Bonus Episode: World Economic Forum Roundtable on Women’s Financial Inclusion

What can be done to provide better products and more access to financial services to women in the global south?

Developing Male Allies in Congo

It’s technically legal for Congolese couples to co-own land. But in practice, that’s not often the case.

Striving for Affordable Child Care in Bangladesh

The country passed an act in 2021 aiming to increase access to child care. But implementing the law has its own challenges.

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Foreign Policy Playlist

From Foreign Policy, a curated podcast where each week we introduce you to one podcast from around the world—shows featuring interesting stories or compelling interviews and analysis on international affairs. And occasionally you’ll hear audio from our own newsroom. Join FP’s Laura Rosbrow-Telem for this curated podcast.

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Africa Forward: Season 1

Introducing our debut season Africa Forward, a podcast supported by Africa50 and produced by FP Studios. Introducing Africa Forward, a podcast from Africa50 produced by FP Studios. Hosts Isha Sesay and Carol Pineau explore infrastructure challenges, successes, and opportunities in Africa.

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BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Inside China’s ‘Two Sessions’

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Ukraine’s Battlefield Dynamics

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