Almost 69% of non-working women in urban India cite childcare and household responsibilities as the primary reason for staying out of the workforce; the gender gap in unpaid care work and employment participation is still a problem.
According to a recent survey by the National Statistics Office (NSO), there is a stark contrast between men and women. Nearly seven in ten non-working urban women cited childcare and household responsibilities as the number one reason for not working, while men were just 3.8% less likely to do so.
The data has brought back attention to the unequal distribution of unpaid domestic work and the impact of caregiving on women’s careers and economic participation.
And not just employment, experts say: In women’s care work, the unequal burden of unpaid care work also determines the career choices, income paths and long-term financial independence that women are able to make.
Mitali Nikore, Senior Economist and Founder of Nikore Associates, said the issue is one of the most important economic and social challenges of the present time. She said women spend five to six hours every day on unpaid work, while men spend about 30 to 40 minutes on such responsibilities.
Much of the disparity, Nikore said, is due to social norms that place caregiving and household responsibilities on women and not men.
But she added that tackling the problem would require more than just encouraging women to enter the workforce. Families would need more support from family-friendly policies, childcare infrastructure, eldercare services and broader care systems.
Nikore also talked about the economic potential of India’s care economy. According to Nikore Associates, the economic value of India’s care economy could be between 15% and 17% of the country’s GDP.
She said that unlocking this potential through childcare infrastructure, eldercare services and what she called “carepreneurship” would create millions of new employment opportunities. The vast majority of these jobs, she said, would benefit women and young people.
Economist Sabina Dewan, President and Executive Director of JustJobs Network, also noted the uneven division of domestic responsibilities. She added that men take on only about one-third of the unpaid domestic work carried out by women in the 2024 Time Use Survey.
Dewan argued that social attitudes often frame women’s decision to stay at home as a result of “maternal instinct” while men’s participation in the workforce is associated with “ambition”.
She said that the gap can be even wider in urban areas in which families don’t have the time or resources to turn to community-based support systems. She says changing social norms is essential, but creating reliable childcare systems for working families is just as important.
The results suggest a broader approach to women’s workforce participation. Policy recommendations that allow for shared household responsibilities, affordable childcare and accessible care services would help to remove the barriers that keep millions of women outside paid employment.
As India wants to expand its workforce and strengthen its economy, the care economy could be part of the solution. Care infrastructure will not only support working women, it will create jobs and create an inclusive labour market.
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