Women in the Indian labour market: Juxtaposed between time and work

Pallavi Gupta and Falguni Pattanaik

Development Policy Review, 2025, vol. 43, issue 3

Abstract: Motivation The study is motivated by the persistent low participation in the labour force of women in India, largely attributed to the burden of unpaid domestic and caregiving work. There is a notable lack of empirical studies on this issue due to the previous absence of comprehensive time‐use data. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the impact of unpaid care work using the latest Indian time‐use data. Purpose This is an empirical study that investigates the influence of unpaid domestic and caregiving work on the labour‐force participation and employment choices of women in India. Additionally, the study explores the extent of time poverty among working women and identifies its causes. Methods and approach The study has utilized Time Use in India data 2019. To examine the impact of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as well as unpaid domestic and caregiving work on labour‐force participation and nature of employment of women, the study has employed logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression, respectively. Findings The findings revealed that the time devoted to unpaid domestic and caregiving work reduces the probability of women participating in the labour market. An increase in time invested in unpaid domestic and caregiving work raises the likelihood of women opting for self‐employment. In addition, women workers in India experience higher levels of time poverty than their male counterparts, and this gender disparity in time poverty persists across all employment categories. Policy Implications To include women in the labour market, it is imperative to recognize, reduce, and redistribute women's unpaid domestic and caregiving work and invest in care‐friendly policies at workplaces to reduce time poverty among women workers.

Date: 2025
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