in the case of women the pattern is reversed with currently married women having the lowest participation rates as a good percentage of them tend to be homemakers instead of in the labour market widowed divorced women however are compelled to get into the labour force for their survival and thus have the highest rates of lfprs the decline in the lfprs of women between and was the highest among currently married women thereare significant variations in the pattern of womens lfprs due to changes in age and marital status