Mobility access to can increase females in workforce 4-6.9% by 2028: Report

Access to mobility can increase women's participation in the workforce between 4 to 6.9 per cent by 2028, a report by Uber and Oxford Economics has said.

The report draws from a survey of Uber riders conducted across five Indian cities - Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

The report said access to mobility can boost the number of women in the workforce in these cities to 0.32 million-0.56 million and lead to an increase of over one per cent in the size of their economies.

Speaking at the release of the report on Thursday, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said access to mobility can improve workforce participation of women and it is also imperative for increasing their enrolment in higher education.

"Today we have 2 crore women enrolled in higher education institutions but if you look at the numbers behind it, the transition for women who had let's say completed their 12th standard to higher education institutions is less than 25 per cent," she said.

"The number of women who can access higher education institutions, if mobility becomes more affordable... I'm sure it will double," she added.

According to the report, four out of 10 working women riders agreed that ride-hailing enabled them to join the workforce, helping them overcome some of the key barriers.

Half of the working women surveyed felt that ride-hailing was a crucial factor in helping them strike a balance between work and family responsibilities.

Around 75 per cent of the women who use cabs to commute to work cited safety as the primary reason behind the choice. One in three (32 per cent) working women riders agreed that ride-hailing enabled them to access a wider pool of suitable work opportunities, broadening their horizons and career prospects.