Though the gendered division of labour has been a long-standing reality, the situation has drastically worsened during the pandemic. Along with the increase in office workload, most working women in India have had to bear the brunt of household chores. But that’s not all. Women are also expected to take on the role of the primary caregivers for their families, leaving them both physically and emotionally exhausted.
Related: Work From Home Burnout Is Real: Treat It For A Healthier Lifestyle
A recent study conducted by Deloitte in New Zealand rightfully identifies household chores and family caretaking as unpaid work. In order to fulfil the expectation of taking on most of the unpaid work, women end up having to sacrifice their participation in the workforce. In fact, this study finds the same and states that bridging this gap has the potential to significantly boost the economy. Needless to say, this trend stands true for economies across the world.
What about India?
According to a survey conducted in 2019, while the average Indian woman spends around 243 minutes per day on domestic activities, this figure stands at a measly 25 minutes for men. If this was the reality in the pre-pandemic era, there’s no doubt that the situation is a lot worse today.
Another global study conducted by Deloitte had some bleak findings of the situation of working women in India. In abiding by societal expectations and catering to their families’ needs, productivity has worsened for women in the past year.
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In recognising the constraints on their productivity, women’s mindsets have become rather pessimistic regarding their career goals. They feel like they’re letting their company down and fear being left out, according to the study. Nearly a quarter of the women who were interviewed mentioned that they were considering leaving the workforce altogether.
The number of women who complained about the increased pressure of taking on housework was significantly higher in India than anywhere else. Though employers often quote “flexible work hours” as a perk of the current WFH scenario, that is far from the truth. In reality, the current workload is a lot higher for most employees and there is no longer a concept of “working hours” in place. This translates into an additional burden for women as they struggle to balance the bulk of the housework, including what would have been handled by domestic help pre-March 2020, and their regular office tasks.
Is there a way forward?
These gendered disparities in the unpaid workload are a major hindrance to the growth of women in society. That working women are expected to compromise on their careers to look after their households, is demeaning in itself. What makes it worse is that the very patriarchy that propagates such expectations, simultaneously refuses to acknowledge the job of homemakers as work, simply deeming their efforts as “a part of life”.
The way forward requires the members of society and the corporate world to come together and make way for change. Members of the family, especially male partners, need to step forward and share the load of housework without the expectation of rewards or recognition. Additionally, companies should acknowledge the role of working women at home, and allow for certain flexibilities, especially during this pandemic. Keeping workplace sexism in check and increasing the number of opportunities accessible to women will also go a long way. These reforms shall encourage women to refrain from quitting altogether.
Ariel had come up with a wonderful ad campaign on sharing the housework load a few years back. It would be great to see such changes materialise into practice as well.
Oh, and ladies, the next time you hear a saasu ma disguise her son’s incompetence with a “compliment” that sounds like “Bahu toh ghar aur kaam dono sambhal leti hai”, call them out. This isn’t the work-life balance any of us need.
Related: House Cleaning And Working From Home: 7 Ways To Find The Right Balance
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