Careful economic policy in India

• The increase is primarily due to the inclusion of the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which accounts for 24% of the GB.
• Despite the increase, critical investments in care infrastructure remain absent, reinforcing the persistent invisibilisation of care work in India’s economic planning.

• Globally, women spend an average of 17.8% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW), with women in the Global South bearing higher burdens.
• Indian women shoulder 40% more of this burden than their counterparts in South Africa and China.
• The International Labour Organization reports that 53% of Indian women remain outside the labour force due to care responsibilities, compared to just 1.1% of men.
• Women spend up to 73% of their time on these unpaid activities due to limited access to essential infrastructure.

Solutions for the Care Burden

• Recognise the full spectrum of UCDW women perform.
• Reduce the UCDW burden through time-saving technologies and expanded access to affordable care infrastructure.
• Redistributing care work — from the home to the State and within households.
• Involve women in decision-making and implementation for gender-transformative policies.
• A more deliberate, well-funded strategy is necessary to ensure that care work is not treated as an afterthought but as a core component of inclusive growth.