A recent study conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai revealed that Indian women engage in unpaid domestic chores and caregiving at a rate ten times higher than men, a figure significantly higher than global averages. The research also highlighted that educated women exhibit better management of their workload, shedding light on the disproportionate burden borne by married women compared to their unmarried counterparts. Additionally, the study identified upper-caste Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh households as the demographic groups where women contribute the most hours to unpaid domestic labor.
Published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, the study emphasized the stark contrast between the time spent by women and men on unpaid domestic work. While women worldwide typically spend three times more time on such tasks than men, Indian women dedicate nearly ten times more time than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the study underscored the impact of family structure on unpaid work, noting that households with school-age children and those residing in nuclear families tend to have higher levels of unpaid labor compared to multigenerational households.
Drawing from data obtained in the Time Use Survey of India conducted by the National Sample Survey Office in 2019, the study highlighted the influence of familial dynamics on the distribution of unpaid domestic work. It noted that while support from natal parents tends to be more substantial than that from in-laws, the educational backgrounds of both sets of parents significantly affect the division of unpaid labor. The study also observed variations in unpaid work based on the gender composition of households, with female-dominant households experiencing reduced unpaid labor while male-dominant households witnessed an increase.
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