WOMEN’S PAID-UNPAID WORK IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS OF TRENDS AND DETERMINANTS

Abstract

Work is an important aspect of productive activities and an indispensable factor contributing to the well-being of household and economy. However, the predominance of women and keeping out of ‘economic activities’, puts unpaid domestic work under the shadow of invisibility, outside the production boundaries and further outside the purview of economic policy. The objective of this study is to examine the trends of women labour/work force participation in India and to understand the dynamics of women labour considering their paid unpaid work status. The nature of women’s work has endured substantial alterations during the neo-liberal paradigm of Indian economy, and women labour force and workforce participation have declined significantly. To understand the status of women in the labour market, it is necessary to comprehend the nature of their unpaid work which has significant impact on their work participation rate in the economy. This study explores the causes of women to be engaged in unpaid work and the reason behind the non-reduction of unpaid labour as prophesied by the standard theories of economic development. Furthermore, this study aims to examine the nexus of the work status of women with economic growth and its impact on poverty to give possible recommendations for promoting faster and more inclusive growth of the Indian economy. For addressing the above-mentioned issues, this study has used the data of 50th, 55th, 61st, 68th, and PLFS surveys conducted from 1993/94 to 2017/18 by National Sample Survey Office. The study reveals that, the participation of women in paid activities has been consistently declined. During the study period, it has been observed that, the amount of unpaid work activities of women has significantly increased. The findings of this study reveal that the intensity of to be engaged in domestic work among women is high among low educated and lower wealth quintile in the society. Furthermore, the U-hypothesis relationship between economic growth and women domestic duties has been established in India because of the transforming stage economic development. Women are engaged in unpaid domestic work because of three factors―Constraints (social and religious), Choices (failure of market and states to provide essential provisioning) and Career (low opportunity cost of unpaid work in the market). Therefore, a holistically approach within the broader context of household, state, market and society through a macro, meso and micro interconnects has to be considered to change the women’s status in the economy.