Gender inequality in household chores

 Debosri Dey Bose

The term ‘gender inequality’ describes how people are perceived or treated differently depending on  their gender. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways such as disparities between men and women regarding opportunities, rights, pay, social standing, education, and access to resources. Gender inequality is an international issue that affects the entire world. In comparison to men, women experience discrimination in many significant ways. Social conventions and cultural practices are ingrained with this inequality. 

As an illustration, not only do women worldwide earn 24% less than men but also women are  under-represented in politics and other positions of authority (The Hindu). Globally, women made for  only 22% of national legislator as of 2022 (Inter Parliamentary Union). Approximately, 500 million  women and girls who are 15 years of age or older lack literacy (Union Women). These are only a few  examples of how gender inequality shows up in the world.

 In India, gender inequality is a complex issue with deep cultural, social, and economic roots. Even with advancements in certain domains, notable disparities still exist between men and women. In India,  discrimination against women common in the field of healthcare, work, and education. Women in this  country still endure gender-based violence, have uneven access to resources, marry young and face bias  of son preferences over daughters. As per the Monster Salary Index (MSI) research in 2019, there was 19% gender pay difference in India, where men were paid significantly more for comparable work than women. India’s female labour force participation rate was less than the global average in 2020, at about 20%, according to data from World’s Bank. These figures give an overview of the gender inequality  problems that exist in India.

 Let us now focus on the gender differences in household chores and domestic activities in India. In many parts of India, patriarchal systems are prevalent where traditional gender norms dictate that  women should take care of the house while men should be the bread earner of the family. Typically,  women handle jobs like childcare, cooking, cleaning, and eldercare. The National Sample Survey found that women in India devote an average of 299 minutes per day providing unpaid care compared to men’s 97 minutes a day. Also, in an earlier assessment of pre pandemic diaries, at the national level, only 27%  men were reported to be having performed household duties at some point during the day compared to over 92% of women in the 15 to 59 age group. Women who work outside the home for a living are  working women and yet many of them still must do a large amount of household chores. As a result, women may find it more difficult to follow their interests or hobbies outside the home due to the unequal  distribution of household chores, which can also limit their possibilities for career, education, and personal fulfillment.

The Time Use Survey in 2019 documented the daily activities of around 1,40,000 urban and rural Indian households, the findings of the survey indicated that 81.2% of Indian women  labour at home, whereas only 18.4% of them work for pay in a single day outside the home. If we narrow  our emphasis to rural areas, only 81.2% of women and just 26.1% of men perform domestic works,  according to the Rural Women survey. A startling degree of disparity may be seen in rural Haryana where  just 13% of men and 90% of women work in household duties (Centre for Economic Development and Administration).

 Let’s shed some light on the situation of Covid-19’s arrival in India. Studies have revealed that  during the pandemic period, women assumed a greater proportion of home duties compared to men. According to data from the International Labour Organization (ILO), women spent around 4.1 hours more each day on average than men did in unpaid care and household chores. Women have been more affected  than men in Covid-19 phase by job loses and unstable economic conditions.

 Above mention statistics and situations are not as dire as they may seem because new research and  polls indicate that men are becoming more involved in domestic work, especially among younger generations living in urban areas where attitude towards gender roles may be more progressive. For example, compared to the national average, the percentage of men working in household activities is  higher in Northeast States where Assam records the highest at 59%. After Northeast, the highest  percentage of men working in domestic chores is Goa, which records 57%. With 41.45 of men working in  domestic chores, Bihar likewise performs significantly better in this category than many other states.

There is a greater percentage of urban men than rural men doing household works in Goa, Haryana,  Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, and Sikkim (Centre for Economic Development  and Administration).

 As we draw towards closure, I would like reader to take note of the fact that Indian society is  developing gradually in bridging this inequality. The implementation of legislation that support work life  balance and gender imbalance within families, as well as lobbying for more fair distribution of home  tasks between men and women, are some of the measures that are being taken to address gender  inequality in India. Initiatives are also taken to question prevailing gender conventions and prejudices in  the minds of younger generation. Parents these days are also encouraging their boys to help around the  house from an early age by giving them age-appropriate jobs like tidying up toys, watering plants or  setting a table etc. Moreover, government laws prohibiting dowries, domestic abuse, and sexual harassment have a positive impact on society.