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What Does it Take? Rural Women, Migration, and the Road to Work
29 April 2026
ABOUT THIS Report
What does it truly take for a rural young woman in India to access and sustain formal work? This report by JustJobs Network and PRADAN traces women's journeys from aspiration to employment, uncovering the social norms, family negotiations, and institutional gaps that shape their path beyond just skills training — and what governments, training partners, and employers must do differently.
Rural young women in India face layered barriers to formal employment that go far beyond skills gaps. Gendered norms, restricted mobility, family expectations, and limited exposure to formal work environments combine to keep them outside the labour market — or push them out of it prematurely.
This report by JustJobs Network and PRADAN examines how these barriers operate in practice, and what it takes to overcome them. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork across source communities in Odisha and destination employment hubs in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the study follows women at different stages of their employment journeys — from training and aspiration-building to migration, workplace adaptation, and retention.
At its core, the report uses PRADAN’s EEMPOWER initiative as a lens to understand what makes employment transitions succeed or fail. It finds that technical skilling alone is insufficient. Sustainable employment requires confidence-building, family engagement, post-placement support, and responsive employer practices — particularly during the critical first six to twelve months on the job.
The report concludes with actionable recommendations for central and state governments, training organisations, and employers, offering a roadmap for building employment pathways that are equitable, dignified, and built to last.
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