Analysis of Women's Role in Domestic and Public Spheres
The Domestic Sphere and Societal Attitudes
The role of women in the domestic sphere often translates into low-wage care services in the public sphere. Current socio-political dynamics in India tend to sideline domestic issues, allowing those in power to misuse concepts like “nari shakti” and claim women-led development while maintaining regressive views on women in the home.
- The RSS chief in 2025 suggested families should have at least three children to ensure civilization's survival, which reduces women to mere reproduction machines.
- Domestic violence remains a significant issue, with 35,000 women dying due to dowry deaths from 2017 to 2022, and 30% of women experiencing intimate partner violence as per the National Family Health Survey-5.
- Political leaders are often silent on domestic violence, focusing instead on issues like “love jihad”, which aligns with majoritarian ideologies.
The Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024 Findings
The TUS 2024 highlights the disparity in men’s and women’s work within and outside the home:
- 25% of women aged 15-59 are engaged in employment, working an average of five hours, compared to 75% of men working eight hours.
- Unpaid domestic services see 93% of women putting in 7 hours daily, while 70% of men do no domestic work.
- Women's overall working hours exceed men's, yet they spend less time on eating, sleeping, and leisure.
- The survey indicates class and caste differences, with laboring class women shouldering disproportionately more work.
Government and Policy Perspectives
The official narrative from the BJP government attempts to glorify these inequalities by emphasizing the Indian family structure where caregiving is primarily a female responsibility.
- Women in child-care roles such as anganwadi workers and ASHAs are labeled "social volunteers" and receive an honorarium instead of a minimum wage.
- The SBI survey in 2023 estimated that monetizing unpaid domestic work could contribute over 7% to GDP, highlighting the undervaluation of women's unpaid labor.
Proposals for Change
To address these issues, the following measures are proposed:
- Implement cultural, social, and policy interventions to eliminate violence against women in families.
- Ensure equal work rights and wages for men and women.
- Provide state-supported universal facilities for childcare and eldercare.
- Promote cultures encouraging shared domestic responsibilities.
- Recognize scheme workers in childcare and health services as government employees with minimum wages and benefits.
Brinda Karat, a senior leader of the CPI(M), underscores the urgency of these changes to rectify the current undervaluation of women's contributions both domestically and in the public sphere.