This inaugural data brief has been brought out by the National Data Innovation Centre (NDIC), which has been set up by NCAER with its consortium partners, University of Maryland and University of Michigan. The data brief, based on research from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), highlights the key factors that account for the declining female work participation rate in rural India. The statistics show that much of this decline is located among poor and less educated women. However, when women are presented with greater work opportunities through an improved transportation infrastructure or better implementation of welfare programmes like MGNREGA, they take advantage of these opportunities.