International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Volume 8 Issue 4
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Empowering Women in the Digital Economy: The Kudumbashree Experience in Kerala

Author(s) Dr. Lakshmy Ullattuparambil Venugopalan Pillai
Country India
Abstract Digital labour inclusion and the development of economic agency are important for sustaining women's participation in the labour market in Kerala. The state has the best human development indicators in India, but its female work participation rate has been consistently below the national average, a difference referred to as the "Kerala paradox." The study distinguishes between women's access to digital and financial infrastructure and relies only on official secondary data, which includes Periodic Labour Force Survey figures for Kerala, National Family Health Survey rounds, Kudumbashree Mission and Local Self Government Department progress reports, e-Shram registration figures, and Kerala State Planning Board Economic Review data. Kudumbashree has achieved near-universal digital and financial access for its 41-lakh-member network, including individual bank account operation and digital payment capability, but independent research shows that only a minority of its Neighbourhood Groups are engaged in income-generating economic activity. The article illustrates that Kerala's experience is indicative of a national pattern at the sub-national level, where measures of digital inclusion on the access side have surpassed indicators of economic empowerment on the agency side. It recommends a differentiated, agency-weighted approach to enhance Kudumbashree's enterprise conversion capacity.
Keywords Kudumbashree; Kerala paradox; digital labour inclusion; economic agency; female labour force participation; capability approach; Sen-Kabeer framework
Field Sociology > Economics
Published In Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On 2026-08-10
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85501
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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