Published Paper Details:

In Kerala, women's involvement in the informal economy is crucial for maintaining household income and contributing to the state's economic growth. Despite Kerala's impressive social development indicators, women in the informal sector still encounter significant gender-based disparities that impact their employment opportunities. This research explores gender inequality and employment challenges faced by women in Kerala's informal economy, with a focus on wage discrimination, job insecurity, and inadequate social protection. The study is based on a sample of 379 women engaged in various informal sector activities throughout Kerala. It aims to assess the nature and extent of gender inequality, identify the primary employment challenges faced by women, and explore the link between gender inequality and employment conditions. Additionally, the study tests hypotheses concerning the effects of gender discrimination on wages and job security. Both primary and secondary data were utilized for the analyses. The results reveal that women in the informal economy face significant wage gaps compared to men, along with unstable employment, lack of contractual security, and limited access to welfare benefits. The study also finds a strong correlation between gender inequality and poor employment conditions, indicating that gender-based discrimination is a major factor contributing to vulnerability in the informal sector. The study concludes that although Kerala has implemented various welfare measures for informal workers, these measures have been insufficient in addressing structural gender inequalities. It recommends more robust policy interventions focusing on wage equality, social protection coverage, skill development, and better implementation of welfare schemes to improve women's employment status in the informal economy.