“Housewife’s autonomy is more theoretical than real. Being ‘your boss’ imposes the obligation to see that the housework gets done. The responsibility for housework is the wife’s alone and the failure to do it may have serious consequences…the wrath of husbands and the ill-health of children.” — Ann Oakley
The double burden of unpaid care work and paid employment, primarily on women, perpetuates gender inequalities. Women’s roles as caregivers and wage earners lead to workforce segmentation and hinder career advancement, exacerbating the gender wage gap. This unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities results in the underutilisation of women’s skills and talents, impacting economic productivity. Limited access to support services further strains social welfare systems, affecting women’s well-being.
The trillion-dollar economy
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines Care Economy as a “set of activities related to the provision of care and support to individuals, households, and communities, including both paid and unpaid work.” Care Economy encompasses a broad spectrum of labour and resources dedicated to meeting the care needs of individuals and families. The significance of care work extends far beyond its immediate impact on the people it serves.
Despite its vital importance, this work is often gendered, with women disproportionately shouldering the responsibility for caregiving and domestic tasks. Due to women’s contributions to unpaid work being higher, barriers have come up in women taking up paid employment. Further, care work remains invisible in traditional economic frameworks of the national accounting system in India.
Studies by the ILO show that women’s unpaid work contributes around $10 trillion annually to economic growth, making up about 13 per cent of the world’s GDP. This oversight belittles the significant contributions of care work to our economy and hence, fails to provide the true picture of the economy, distorting our understanding of economic growth and development.
Estimates by the ILO suggest that domestic work and unpaid care work in a country are estimated to be approximately 10-30 per cent of India’s GDP. The Institutions and Development Database (2014) shows that India has the highest female-to-male ratio of time devoted to unpaid care work — 9.83 with a margin of around 5 from the second highest ratio, i.e., 4.83, which is Japan. The value of unpaid care work is relatively less amongst males (0.4 per cent of the GDP) than females (3.1 per cent). If this unpaid care work is accompanied by a direct public investment of 2 per cent of the GDP in this sector, it would create around 11 million new jobs in India.
Investing in care work
Projections by the United Nations Population Fund (2022) indicate a forthcoming demographic shift characterised by a significant increase in the elderly population by 20.8 per cent. Although the proportion of children is anticipated to decrease to 18 per cent, their absolute numbers in the economy will remain substantial. This demographic transition underscores the imperative to invest in the care services sector to address the evolving needs of the population. The ILO suggests that increasing investments in the care services sector has the potential to generate 475 million jobs globally by 2030.
SDG 5 emphasises gender equality, which seeks to “recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and promotion of shared responsibility within household and family as nationally appropriate.” India’s potential to emerge as a leading global economy is contingent upon increased participation of women in the workforce. The current imbalance in unpaid care work between men and women poses a significant challenge. Adequate measures will ensure the equitable distribution of caregiving responsibilities which will allow the advancement of the Indian economy.
The 5Rs framework provided by the ILO shows the way forward for achieving gender equality. Recognition involves acknowledging the value and importance of care work within society. Reduction in the amount of unpaid care to ensure there is a balance between caregiving responsibilities and other aspects of one’s life. Redistribution of resources and care responsibilities within households and societies is also crucial. Rewarding and ensuring that all care workers receive fair and appropriate compensation for their labour, including social security benefits, access to healthcare and professional development is also a must. Representation involves empowering care workers to participate in decision-making and advocating for their rights and interests.
Another suggestion emphasises recommendations under Task Force-6: Exploring New Pathways to 2030. Below are its key features.
Care as a core pillar: Identifying and prioritising care work as a fundamental component of socio-economic development within G20 countries. This entails recognising the economic and social significance of caregiving, tackling disparities in access to and delivery of care services, and incorporating care-related policies into wider economic and social development plans.
Gender-inclusive childcare policies: Creating and enforcing childcare policies that are inclusive of all genders, enabling both men and women to engage in the workforce equally while fostering gender equality.
Quality care sector in G20 countries: Emphasis on allocation of resources towards enhancing the quality-of-care sector, encompassing healthcare, eldercare, childcare, and social services.
Strengthening the care economy is essential for achieving the goal of development led by women in Viksit Bharat by 2047. For an era of rapid growth, an “Amrit Kaal”, there is an immediate need to prioritise investments from both public and private sectors to strengthen the care economy. This includes creating new business opportunities within the care sector to promote development led by women.
Aggarwal is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, and Arora, Tyagi, Sasi are students, Christ University
