India rebased its GDP. It still can’t see the Rs 34.5 lakh crore women do free
India’s GDP leaves out unpaid care work worth up to 17% of GDP, mostly done by women. Measuring it is key to more women in jobs.
India recently revised its GDP base year to 2022-23, incorporating new data sources and reassessing the informal economy's size. Despite the economy growing 7.8% that quarter, the arithmetic overlooked one crucial factor: unpaid domestic and care work. Women aged 15 to 59 spend approximately 201 minutes daily on such tasks compared to men's 43 minutes.
A Ministry of Women and Child Development study valued this unpaid work at up to Rs 34.5 lakh crore, around 15-17% of GDP. The issue persists despite women's rising labor-force participation. The government's policies, like the Palna scheme, have not addressed the infrastructure gap for compatible paid and care work. Other countries, such as Japan and Bangladesh, have tackled this challenge differently, showing the need for comprehensive policy changes to enable women's full participation in the workforce.
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