Economic and Legal Analysis of “gendered” Unpaid Care Work in India

Abstract

Industrialisation and competitive market structures with emphasis on paid labour and wages, has made the work done by women within their household invisible and devalued. This creates gendered division of work where the unpaid household work has become associated with the idea of womanhood and their natural tendency of altruism and care with the reward being emotional validation. Not only does this lead to unfair distribution of work, but also creates issues of inequality, dependency and freedom of choice. Legislations and policies also reflect this when it comes to wage related provisions. In a judgment delivered on 5 January 2021, the Supreme Court of India emphasised the importance of fixing a monetary value for the housework done by women as homemakers. In this light, the paper studies the interface of law and economics with regards to the value of unpaid care work in India particularly with reference to women using the Time Use Survey of the Government of India, existing laws, and employment guarantee schemes. It further highlights the lack of a policy framework that acknowledges the contribution of caregiving to the country’s economy.