“A housewife’s autonomy is more theoretical than real. Being ‘your boss’ imposes an obligation to see that household chores are completed.” Household chores are solely the responsibility of the wife, and neglecting them can lead to serious consequences, such as angering the husband and worsening the health of the children. ” — Ann Oakley
The double burden of unpaid care work and paid employment falls primarily on women, perpetuating gender inequality. Women’s roles as caregivers and wage earners lead to workforce fragmentation, hinder career advancement, and exacerbate the gender pay gap. This unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities means that women’s skills and talents are underutilized, impacting their economic productivity. Limited access to support services further strains social welfare systems and impacts women’s well-being.
1 trillion dollar economy
The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines the care economy as “the set of activities associated with the provision of care and support to individuals, households and communities, including both paid and unpaid work.” The care economy includes a wide range of workforces and resources dedicated to meeting the care needs of individuals and families. The importance of care work goes far beyond its direct impact on the people it cares for.
Despite its vital importance, the job is often gendered, with women taking a disproportionate share of caregiving and household responsibilities. Women’s high contribution to unpaid work creates barriers for them to enter paid employment. Furthermore, care work remains invisible in the traditional economic framework of India’s national accounting system.
According to ILO research, women’s unpaid work contributes approximately $10 trillion annually to economic growth, accounting for approximately 13% of global GDP. This oversight discounts the huge contribution of care work to our economy, thus failing to provide a true picture of the economy and distorting our understanding of economic growth and development.
According to ILO estimates, domestic work and unpaid care work in a country is estimated to amount to around 10-30% of India’s GDP. According to the Institutions and Development Database (2014), India has the highest gender ratio of time spent in unpaid care work, at 9.83, and Japan has the second highest ratio of 4.83, about 5 points behind. The value of unpaid care work is relatively lower for men (0.4% of GDP) than for women (3.1%). If this unpaid care work were accompanied by direct public investment of 2% of GDP, approximately 11 million new jobs would be created in India.
Investment in nursing care business
Projections by the United Nations Population Fund (2022) point to future demographic changes characterized by a significant increase in the elderly population of 20.8 percent. Although the share of children is expected to decline to 18 percent, the absolute number of children in the economy will remain significant. This demographic shift highlights the imperative of investment in the care services sector to meet the needs of an evolving population. The ILO suggests that increasing investment in the care services sector could create 475 million jobs globally by 2030.
SDG 5 emphasizes gender equality and states that “unpaid care and housework should be improved through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of nationally appropriate shared responsibility within households and families. We aim to recognize and value labor. India’s rise as a global economic leader depends on increasing women’s labor force participation. Currently, the imbalance in unpaid care work between men and women is a major issue. Appropriate measures will ensure a fair distribution of caregiving responsibilities and enable the development of the Indian economy.
The 5R framework provided by the ILO provides a way forward to achieve gender equality. Recognition involves recognizing the value and importance of care work in society. Reduce the amount of unpaid caregiving to ensure a balance between caregiving responsibilities and other aspects of life. The reallocation of resources and care responsibilities within families and societies is also important. It is also essential to compensate all care workers and ensure they receive fair and adequate remuneration for their work, including social security benefits, access to health care and professional development. Representation involves enabling care workers to participate in decision-making and assert their rights and interests.
Another proposal highlights recommendations from Task Force 6: Exploring a new path to 2030. Its main features are listed below.
Care as a core pillar: identifying and prioritizing care work as a fundamental element of socio-economic development in G20 countries. This requires recognizing the economic and social importance of care, addressing disparities in access and provision of care services, and integrating care-related policies into broader economic and social development plans. Masu.
Gender-inclusive child care policies: Develop and enforce child care policies that are inclusive of all genders, promoting gender equality and allowing both men and women to participate equally in the workforce.
Quality care in G20 countries: Focuses on allocating resources to improve the quality of care, including health care, aged care, childcare, and social services.
Strengthening the care economy is essential to achieving the goal of women-led development in Vikshit Bharat by 2047. There is an urgent need to prioritize and strengthen investments from both the public and private sectors in preparation for the era of rapid growth known as ‘Amrit Kaal’. care economy. This includes creating new business opportunities within the care sector to foster women-led development.
Agarwal is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics, and Arora, Tyagi and Sashi are students at Christ University
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Date first uploaded: August 5, 2024 12:32 IST