Gender and Work in Mountain Economies: Results from a Time Use Survey from Across Twelve Himalayan States

Vandana Upadhyay () and Kanchan Devi ()
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Vandana Upadhyay: Rajiv Gandhi University, Department of Economics & Women Studies and Research Centre
Kanchan Devi: Rajiv Gandhi University, Women Studies and Research Centre

Chapter 6 in Women and Work in India: Challenges, Opportunities and Perspectives for Policy, 2026, pp 97-124 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Mountain economies in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) are marked by high female participation in productive and household work, much of which remains unpaid and unrecorded. As these economies undergo rapid commercialization and structural change, the gender division of labour and the social valuation of women’s work are also shifting. Using a large time-use survey covering 15,399 households across twelve Himalayan states, this Chapter examines women’s engagement in SNA, extended SNA, and non-SNA activities. The findings show that women shoulder a dual burden: they sustain agriculture, livestock care, weaving, food processing, petty trade, and extensive caregiving responsibilities, while also compensating for male out-migration. Their labour ensures household food and energy security, yet much of it remains invisible in official statistics. The analysis highlights the persistent underestimation of women’s contribution in partially monetized hill economies and emphasises the economic significance of their unpaid and subsistence-based work.

Keywords: Female labour force participation; Indian himalayan region (IHR); Time use; Gender gap in workforce participation; SNA; Extended sna; Non-sna activities; Female-headed households (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-6103-2_6

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