CHANGING FAMILY ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN RURAL AND URBAN INDIA: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study examines the evolving dynamics of family attitudes toward women's employment and their consequential impact on socio-economic empowerment across rural and urban India. Drawing upon comprehensive data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2017-18 to 2023-24), Census of India 2011, National Family Health Survey, and specialized studies conducted by the National Human Rights Commission, this paper presents a systematic analysis of the structural and cultural barriers that shape women's labour force participation. The findings reveal a significant transformation in female labour force participation rates, which increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, with rural areas witnessing a dramatic surge from 24.6% to 47.6% during the same period. Despite this positive trajectory, persistent patriarchal norms continue to impede women's economic engagement, with approximately 49.5% of women reporting discouragement from family members and nearly 99.3% citing household chores as primary constraints. The study employs empowerment indices encompassing financial service usage, family equality, household autonomy, and awareness dimensions to demonstrate that employed women consistently score higher across all indicators compared to their non-working counterparts. The analysis of MGNREGA participation data reveals women's participation exceeding the mandatory 33% threshold, reaching 57.4% in 2022-23, thereby catalyzing both economic independence and social empowerment. This paper argues that the intersectionality of familial support structures, government policy interventions, and changing social attitudes creates a complex but progressively improving landscape for women's socio-economic empowerment in contemporary India.