Published Paper Details:

Kerala's Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) lags behind what its human development achievements would indicate. This paper studies how declining fertility, increasing life expectancy, and the resulting ageing of Kerala's population have developed alongside women's involvement in paid work during the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) period. Using secondary data from the PLFS, the Sample Registration System, the National Family Health Survey, and sources from the Kerala State Planning Board, the study shows a fertility rate below the replacement level that has been sustained for over three decades. Although female labour force participation has seen some recent gains, it continues to be concentrated in rural self-employment and casual work rather than regular salaried employment. This pattern stands in contrast to Kerala's well-documented "gender paradox," in which strong capability indicators exist alongside constrained economic agency for women. The paper contends that Kerala is currently forfeiting a demographic dividend--one that cannot be recovered without deliberate policy interventions aimed at channeling educated women into quality employment.