Development of skills in women: challenges and possibilities

The 12th five year plan (20012-17) has accepted India's dire and urgent need to skill millions of formal and informal workers in the next ten years. The Government of India has set a target of skilling 500 million people by 2022 as only 4.69 percent of India's total workforce has undergone formal skill training (Census 2011). Women form a significant proportion of this work force in India; the concentration of female workforce is very huge in favor of informal sector, engaged in vocations characterized by low earning, low productivity, poor working conditions and lack of social protection. There are higher number of unskilled workers in rural than in urban areas, and more number of women do not have any skills, compared to men. It is to be noted that the initiatives required to skill the workforce, cannot be assumed to be the same for both men and women, as women and men face very different social and economic circumstances in India. Low social value is attached to girl's education, and as they are considered secondary income earners, lower importance is given to training of girls for employment. The gender roles defined for women, expect them to primarily devote their time to household chores and child rearing, while time devoted to skill training and economic activities is conditional and limited. Hence, a sustainable skill development programme would aim to take on board, both women's as well as men's concerns and experiences. These should form an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and the programs on skill training and development. The key strategy for women's empowerment and gender equality is to combine policy and institutions at the local level. It is also urged that for skill development to be more effective, training needs to bend towards developing the kind of skills women already know. The aim of skill development, particularly in case of women, is not merely to prepare them for jobs, but also to improve the performance of women workers by enhancing the quality of work in which they are engaged. This will encourage higher self-esteem among women and overall personality development.