This chapter traces the evolution of women’s participation in the labor market in South Asia, from colonial India’s industrial workforce to the modern era’s globalized economies. Beginning with early twentieth-century census data, it examines how women’s economic contributions—especially in agriculture, jute mills, and mining—were systematically undervalued and constrained by colonial labor laws. The prohibition of women in mines and gendered wage hierarchies in industries like textiles reveal enduring patterns of structural inequality that persist today. Post-independence, women’s labor force participation remained shaped by necessity rather than empowerment, reflecting fragile protections, social stigma, and unpaid care burdens. The chapter highlights Bangladesh’s transformation as a regional model, where the ready-made garment industry, state-led training, and gender-responsive policies have expanded women’s economic roles despite persistent wage and care disparities. Finally, it foregrounds women’s labor activism—from colonial reformers like Santosh Kumari Devi to contemporary figures like Syeda Ghulam Fatima—who redefined labor rights as inseparable from women’s rights. The chapter argues that sustainable gender equality in labor markets demands not only legal reform but also social recognition of women’s invisible and unpaid labor