Indian women are moving from unpaid domestic work to employment: NSO survey
The Time Use Survey 2024, conducted by the National Statistics Office, shows that female workforce participation has increased to 25%, up from 21.8% in 2019. But caregiving responsibilities continue to be shouldered majorly by women.
A recent government survey has revealed a notable shift in India's workforce dynamics, highlighting increased participation in paid employment among women aged 15 to 59.
The Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024, conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), indicated that 25% of women in this age group are now engaged in employment-related activities—up from 21.8% in 2019. Male participation also rose to 75% from 70.9% over the same period.
The survey also noted a decline in the time women spend on unpaid domestic services. In 2019, women dedicated approximately 315 minutes daily to these tasks, which decreased to 305 minutes in 2024. This reduction suggests a gradual transition from unpaid domestic work to paid employment among women.
Meanwhile, caregiving responsibilities within households remained predominantly female-oriented. The TUS 2024 reported that 41% of women aged 15-59 participated in caregiving activities, compared to 21.4% of men in the same age bracket. Women engaged in caregiving spent about 140 minutes daily, whereas men allocated approximately 74 minutes. This disparity is yet another reminder of the societal expectation for women to shoulder the majority of caregiving duties.
The survey further highlighted that individuals aged six years and above now allocate 11% of their daily time to cultural, leisure, mass media, and sports activities, an increase from 9.9% in 2019. Additionally, self-care and maintenance activities occupied about 708 minutes daily for this demographic, with women spending 706 minutes and men 710 minutes.
The survey was conducted for 139,487 households across rural and urban regions, collecting data from 454,192 individuals aged six years and above. Through computer-assisted personal interviews, detailed information on daily activities was gathered to offer valuable insights into the evolving patterns of time utilisation among the Indian population.
These findings reflect a gradual yet significant shift in traditional gender roles within Indian society. The increased participation of women in paid employment and the slight reduction in unpaid domestic work suggest an encouraging trend, however, the persistent imbalance in caregiving responsibilities indicates that further efforts are necessary to achieve equitable distribution of household duties between men and women.
Edited by Kanishk Singh
