Domestic Sphere: Gender Burdens in New India

Context

The “domestic sphere” in a new India is marked by persistent gender inequity despite progressive slogans and policy promises. While the government emphasizes “nari shakti” and “women-led development,” realities such as unpaid household labour, domestic violence, and the undervaluation of women’s work continue to reinforce gender discrimination within homes.

Understanding the Domestic Sphere

The domestic sphere refers to the realm of home, family, and care work where women in India continue to bear a disproportionate burden. According to Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024, Indian women spend an average of 7 hours per day on unpaid domestic services, compared to men’s 26 minutes. Yet, political narratives often glorify these inequities as markers of cultural strength, ignoring the underlying discrimination and lost economic value.

Unpaid Labour and Gender Disparity

• Unpaid household labour: Women’s unpaid work accounts for a substantial share of India’s real economy, but remains unacknowledged in GDP calculations or policy frameworks. This undervaluation restricts women’s economic independence and perpetuates cycles of poverty and subordination.
• Violence inside homes: Systemic silence around domestic violence, marital rape, and dowry deaths (with an annual average of 7,000 between 2017–2022) continues, despite laws meant for women’s protection.

Policy Initiatives and Contradictions

• Slogans vs. Reality

  • • While policies such as beti bachao, beti padhao, Women-Led Development, and enhanced gender budgets promise empowerment, the results on the ground are mixed:
    • Gender budgets rose by 429% over the last decade, and initiatives such as Startup India and PM Mudra loans increased women’s participation in entrepreneurship and employment.
    • However, decisions like calls for larger families or cultural framing of women’s roles have often reduced women to reproductive agents, not empowered citizens.

• Inclusion and Structural Barriers

  • • Representation: Despite formal measures, women’s representation in governance and decision-making remains below global averages, undermining agency and voice.
    • Social factors: Deep-rooted patriarchy, early marriage, unequal division of work, and lack of access to digital skills further entrench gender gaps.

• Data Insights: Time Use Survey 2024

  • • Women: 7 hours daily on domestic and care work.
    • Men: 26 minutes on similar tasks.
    • Government narrative: Even minimal male participation is projected as evidence of “family values,” masking the real issues.

Addressing Gender Inequity in the Domestic Sphere

• Legal and Policy Reforms

  • • Implement and enforce laws against domestic violence and marital rape.
    • Recognize and reward women’s unpaid work, possibly through universal basic income or social security credits.

• Social Change and Awareness

  • • Promote gender sensitization to challenge regressive attitudes and cultural stereotypes.
    • Integrate gender justice targets in all development policies at local, state, and national levels.

• Economic Measures

  • • Expand access to financial inclusion schemes for homemakers.
    • Facilitate skill development, digital literacy, and childcare support for women to enable workforce participation.

The Road Ahead

The journey toward true gender justice demands that India moves beyond slogans and symbolic gestures. Instead, it must tackle the realities of domestic gender inequity, value women’s unpaid contributions, and create policies informed by the lived experiences of half its population. Only then will the promise of “nari shakti” become a lived reality in every Indian household.

Source: The Hindu

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