THE EDUCATORS' PEN

CBS LINE

Volume 4(3)

Invisible Labour, Visible Impact: Rethinking Women’s Work, Care Economy, and India’s Growth Story

Sony Jacob

Assistant Professor on Contract (Econometrics)

PG and Research Department of Economics

Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta

India’s economic growth story often celebrates rising GDP, expanding industries, and increasing workforce participation. But there is a silent contradiction at the heart of this narrative — a massive portion of productive work, primarily done by women, remains invisible. This work is not counted, not paid, and often not even recognised as “work.” It is unpaid care.

Where the real economy begins? — Inside households.

 Every economy begins at home. Meals cooked, children raised, elderly cared for, routines managed — these are not just personal responsibilities. They are the foundational systems that sustain labour markets, productivity, and human capital. Yet, these contributions are excluded from GDP. In India, women spend significantly more time than men on unpaid care work. Even when women are employed, this responsibility does not reduce — it simply becomes an additional burden. And this is where the real issue begins.

Not just physical work — the invisible “mental load”

Unpaid care is not only about hours spent cooking or cleaning. It is also about:

• Planning routines
• Managing children’s needs
• Coordinating daily life
• Remembering everything that keeps a household running

Even in households where men “help,” women often remain the default managers. As many women describe it: When others help, the work reduces—but the responsibility does not. This invisible coordination work — often called mental labour — is rarely captured in statistics but has real economic consequences.

The career clock versus biological clock problem

One of the biggest structural challenges women face is the timing conflict between:

• Career-building years (late 20s–40s)
• Childbearing and care-giving years

For men, these timelines rarely clash. For women, they overlap almost perfectly. This leads to:

• Career breaks
• Slower promotions
• Missed opportunities
• Long-term income loss

And importantly — these are not always “choices.” They are constrained decisions shaped by expectations.

The paradox of working mothers

Working mothers carry a unique and often unspoken burden.

• If they stay home → “not doing enough”
• If they work → “not present enough”
• If they are ambitious → “too career-focused”
• If they slow down → “wasting potential”

They are expected to:

• Earn
• Care
• Manage
• Be emotionally available
• Never show exhaustion

This creates a situation where: The problem is not the mother — but the system that expects everything from her, without support.

Real-life reflections: Not isolated stories

This is not just theory. Many women later realise how deeply social conditioning shaped their decisions. For instance:

• Women who once needed “permission” to work later recognise it as loss of agency
• Mothers who paused careers for children struggle to return
• Daughters grow up believing sacrifice is natural for mothers

Even when families are loving and supportive, expectations can quietly limit women’s choices.

When help doesn’t reduce work

There is another subtle reality. In many households:

• When husbands “step in,” women still manage everything
• Routines are questioned
• Systems need to be explained
• Decisions must be justified

So instead of reducing work, it sometimes increases coordination burden. For men, it may feel like participation. For women, it becomes more management work.

A simple economic way to understand this

 Let’s simplify the idea using a basic framework:

Where:

• Paid Work → Visible in GDP
• Unpaid Work → Invisible but essential
• Mental Labour → Completely unmeasured

Now, when unpaid work increases:

·       Paid work participation decreases

·       Career breaks increase

·       Income potential reduces

A simple relationship:

Meaning:

• More unpaid work → Less workforce participation
• More support → Better career continuity

Why this matters for India’s GDP

Ignoring unpaid work creates three major problems:

1. Underestimation of economic contribution

Women contribute far more than what GDP shows.

2. Loss of productive workforce

Educated women exit or reduce participation.

3. Slower economic growth

Untapped human capital reduces national output. In simple terms: When women step back, the economy slows down.

Global perspective — same issue everywhere

This is not just an Indian issue. As discussed in Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg:

• Women across the world struggle with similar expectations
• Leadership gaps persist despite education
• Care responsibilities remain unequally distributed

Even in advanced economies, support systems are critical.

What India needs to do?

1. Recognise unpaid care as economic work

Time-use data should influence policy.

2. Invest in childcare infrastructure

Affordable, accessible childcare is essential.

3. Encourage shared responsibility

Care work must not be gendered.

4. Enable career re-entry

Flexible jobs, returnship programs.

5. Measure what matters

Incorporate unpaid work in satellite accounts.

Bottom line

Women are not struggling because they are incapable.

They are navigating a system that:

• Demands everything
• Supports very little
• Recognises even less

And still — they continue. Not because it is easy. But because it is built on responsibility, expectation, and often, love.

Final Thought

If we truly want inclusive growth, we must move beyond what is visible. Because the real economy is not just built in markets but it is built in homes.