Women in Informal Sector in Kerala: Need for Re-Examination

Though statistics reveal the increase in women's employment in Kerala's 'informal' sector, this employment is more in the nature of casual and irregular, contractual labour. Moreover, though women's earnings contribute substantially to the household, this is more often than not denigrated. Women, especially in the lower classes and the lower castes, not only have to cope with physical hardships that impact their health, they continue to be paid much lower wages than men in the same category.