Why in the News

The issue of recognizing invisible labour of care has gained prominence due to renewed policy focus on women-led development and the care economy in India’s recent budgetary and policy initiatives. This is coinciding with International Women’s Day discussions on gender equity and economic participation. A striking indicator of change is the rise in India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, highlighting increasing female participation in the workforce. However, this progress coexists with a massive burden of unpaid care work carried primarily by women, which remains outside formal economic accounting. The Union Budget 2026-27 reportedly crossed ₹5 lakh crore under gender budgeting for the first time, reflecting policy recognition of women’s contribution.

What is the invisible care economy?

1. It refers to the massive volume of unpaid, uncounted, and undervalued labor; primarily cooking, cleaning, child care, and elder care; performed mostly by women and girls. 
2. It acts as a “hidden” backbone of society, essential for sustaining the workforce and households but largely absent from GDP, formal economic metrics, and policy discussions.

Why is the care economy considered the hidden foundation of national development?

1. Social reproduction: Care work ensures the reproduction of human capital by nurturing children, supporting working adults, and maintaining social well-being.
2. Economic multiplier: Effective care systems enable women to participate in the workforce, thereby increasing productivity and household incomes.
3. Cultural dimension: Indian civilisation traditionally reveres Shakti, acknowledging women’s nurturing and leadership roles across social spaces.

How has India’s policy framework shifted from welfare to women-led development?

1. Developmental shift: Policies increasingly recognise women not merely as beneficiaries but as drivers of development.
2. Institutional reforms: Governance frameworks incorporate gender-sensitive policy design across sectors such as health, education, and social welfare.
3. Political recognition: Women’s contributions are acknowledged in public discourse and development planning.
4. Leadership emphasis: The idea of women-led development has emerged as a guiding principle in policy discussions.

What does recent data reveal about women’s workforce participation in India?

1. FLFPR increase: India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate rose from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, indicating increasing female economic engagement.
2. Care constraint: Despite rising participation, women continue to shoulder the majority of unpaid domestic responsibilities.
3. Economic barrier: Lack of accessible childcare and care infrastructure limits women’s sustained participation in the workforce.
4. Labour productivity: Supporting care services can unlock millions of economic opportunities for women.

What policy initiatives aim to strengthen India’s care ecosystem?

1. Gender Budgeting expansion: Gender Budget crossed ₹5 lakh crore for the first time, indicating substantial financial commitment toward women-related programmes.
2. Caregiver skill development: Initiatives aim to train 1.5 lakh caregivers, strengthening the professional care workforce.
3. Working women hostels: Expansion of residential facilities supports women migrating for employment.
4. Anganwadi strengthening: Upgradation of Anganwadi centres improves early childhood care and nutrition services.
5. Inter-sectoral convergence: Integration of health, nutrition, and childcare services improves social protection.

How are legal reforms supporting childcare and worker welfare?

1. Labour law reforms: The Code on Social Security strengthens social protection frameworks.
2. Workplace welfare: The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code improves workplace conditions and supports welfare provisions.
3. Creche facilities: Legal frameworks encourage workplace childcare infrastructure.
4. Social protection: Labour codes integrate worker welfare and family-support mechanisms.

Why is the demand for formal care services increasing in India?

1. Urbanisation: Rapid urban expansion weakens extended family support systems.
2. Migration: Labour mobility separates families from traditional caregiving networks.
3. Nuclear households: Smaller families reduce the availability of informal caregivers.
4. Ageing population: Increasing life expectancy raises the demand for elderly care services.

What policy measures are essential to strengthen the care economy in India? (Way Forward)

1. 5R Framework for Care Economy: Adopting the Recognise – Reduce – Redistribute – Reward – Represent framework ensures a comprehensive policy approach.
   1. Recognition through time-use surveys and national accounting; 
   2. Reduction through care infrastructure like childcare centres; 
   3. Redistribution by encouraging shared household responsibilities and state-supported services; 
   4. Reward by ensuring fair wages, training, and social security for care workers;
   5. Representation by including care workers in labour dialogues and policymaking forums.
2. Recognition through statistical accounting: Institutionalise regular Time Use Surveys and develop satellite accounts in national income accounting to measure the economic value of unpaid domestic and caregiving labour.
3. Expansion of childcare and care infrastructure: Strengthen Anganwadi centres, promote workplace crèche facilities, and establish community-based childcare and elder-care services to reduce the unpaid care burden on women.
4. Professionalisation and formalisation of care work: Expand care-sector skilling programmes, certify caregivers, and extend social security benefits to domestic workers, caregivers, and informal care providers.
5. Learning from global best practices:
   1. Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway): Provide universal childcare services and gender-neutral parental leave, which significantly increases women’s labour force participation.
   2. Canada: Introduced a national affordable childcare programme, reducing childcare costs and enabling greater workforce participation among mothers.
   3. Japan: Expanded public elder-care services under its Long-Term Care Insurance system to address ageing population challenges and reduce family caregiving burdens.

Conclusion

Recognising and strengthening the care economy is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable development in India. Institutional support for caregiving, through childcare infrastructure, social security, and gender-responsive policies, can transform unpaid labour into a recognised pillar of economic growth. A development model that values care work not only empowers women but also strengthens the foundations of a resilient and equitable society.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2021] Though women in post-Independent India have excelled in various fields, the social attitude towards women and feminist movement has been patriarchal.” Apart from women education and women empowerment schemes, what interventions can help change this milieu?

Linkage: This PYQ directly relates to the care economy, unpaid domestic labour, and gender-responsive policymaking, which are central to recognising women’s invisible work in society and the economy. The article’s focus on gender budgeting, childcare infrastructure, and redistribution of care work aligns with UPSC themes of women empowerment, social justice, and inclusive development.