Context: 

As per the Time Use Survey (TUS), 2024 India’s economic growth masks deep gender inequality, with women bearing most unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities.

Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024

• The Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, presents data on how individuals allocate time to various activities, including paid and unpaid work.
• This is the second nationwide Time Use Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), with the first being held between January and December 2019.

Disparity in Unpaid Domestic and Care Work as per

• Women in India spent 289 minutes per day in 2024 on unpaid domestic work as against 88 minutes spent by men on the same.
• For unpaid caregiving services, women devoted 137 minutes daily, while men spent only 75 minutes.
• Overall, women allocated 83.9% of their time to unpaid work, which is significantly higher than the 45.8% recorded for men.

Progress in Paid Employment since the last survey

• Compared to the 2019 report of the same survey, women now spend 10 minutes less on domestic chores.
• However, the time spent on employment-related activities has increased by only eight minutes, reflecting minimal progress in economic engagement.
• Experts interpret this shift as a growing trend of women entering the workforce while still bearing the primary burden of domestic responsibilities, thus facing a "double burden" of work.

The Burden of Expectations

• The societal structure is such that women suffer from ‘time poverty’ wherein they do not have sufficient time for rest or leisure.
• Social norms often impose 'mother’s guilt' on women who are perceived to fall short of parenting expectations, whereas 'father’s guilt' is rarely acknowledged for men in similar circumstances.
• This double standard reflects deeply entrenched gender norms that equate motherhood with self-sacrifice and fatherhood with optional participation.

Undervalued Women

• Emotional and physical labor at home of women is often invisible and undervalued, despite being exhausting and essential.
• In male-dominated societies, women are expected to prioritise family over personal aspirations, careers, and even self-care, framing sacrifice as a moral obligation.
• Meanwhile, men are seldom asked to make comparable compromises, as their identities remain tied to professional achievements rather than caregiving.

Barrier in Leadership and Governance

• According to a report by Deloitte, women in India held only 18.3% of boardroom seats in 2023.
• The Indian Parliament is no different with just 74 women MPs (14%) in the current Lok Sabha, out of a total of 545.

Global Standards on Unpaid Labour

• Globally, women perform 2.8 hours more unpaid domestic and caregiving work daily than men.
• In India, this disparity is even wider, with women dedicating nearly 4 additional hours daily to such work

• Women’s Unpaid Work Needs Recognition: Governments should quantify unpaid labor in GDP, ensuring women’s domestic and caregiving work is valued, compensated, or reduced through automation/support systems.
• Policy Reforms Are Non-Negotiable: India needs mandatory paternity leave, subsidized childcare, and tax incentives for equal household labor to dismantle systemic biases against working women.
• Corporate Accountability Matters: Companies must enforce gender-neutral promotions, flexible hours, and anti-discrimination policies to break the glass ceiling holding women back from leadership roles.
• Education Drives Cultural Change: Schools should teach gender equality, shared responsibilities, and financial independence to reshape future generations’ views on unpaid labor and caregiving roles.
• Men Must Step Up at Home: Equality begins when men share chores, parenting duties, and emotional labor—without expecting praise for basic contributions.