The 2024 Time Use Survey reveals a steady rise in women’s workforce participation and a slight decline in unpaid domestic work, highlighting a positive shift. However, it also concludes that caregiving and household duties continue to weigh heavily on women’s daily schedules.
Time is the most valuable commodity for any individual. How one spends time tells a lot about their quality of life and key focus areas in their lives. While some might be focused on economic activities, others might be skewed towards household chores or wellness activities.
Looking at how different genders spend time gives great insight into gender roles, societal structures, and the pace of economic development. For a country as dynamic and diverse as India, observing this change that has happened over a period of time reflects how cultural expectations are being redefined by policy change, education and economic opportunity.
In that regard, the recently released ‘Time Use Survey’ from the National Statistics Office provides a useful snapshot. Having been conducted in 2024 and contrasted with its 2019 predecessor, the report reveals how employment, unpaid care work, domestic duties and leisure have shifted among Indian men and women.
The conclusion that comes to the fore is highlights subtle progress, still pervasive gender roles, particularly in the areas of work participation and childcare.
Rising Workforce Participation: A Slow but Positive Shift
One of the most significant outcomes of the 2024 survey is the rise in engagement in activities related to employment. Out of the population aged 15 to 59, the percentage of women participating in such activities increased from 21.8 percent in 2019 to 25 percent in 2024. Men's participation has also increased during this time, from 70.9 percent to 75 percent While the gap is enormous, women's increased participation is a sure sign of persistent progress.
This upsurge in participation is aligned by a small reduction in the number of hours spent on unpaid household work by women i.e., 315 minutes in 2019 to 305 minutes in 2024. Being a modest decline, it is an important change which shows increasing numbers of women are balancing paid and unpaid work at home while suggesting a transformation in the way of how their time is being divided.
Still, the difference in working time when employed remains significant. While men have 473 minutes a day of work and work activity, women have 341 minutes. Not only does it indicate the gap in female participation but it also reflects that even when women work, they are probably doing so in part-time, less well paid or informal positions that require fewer hours.
Persistent Gender Imbalance in Domestic and Care Work
Even with these advances in employment, the old gender split in unpaid care and housework still predominates. In addition, women continue to spend an average of 289 minutes a day on unpaid domestic work. The survey states, “Male members spent 88 minutes in a day in such activities. Females spent 137 minutes in a day in caring for their household members compared to 75 minutes spent by male members of the household.”
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation also highlights that 41 percent of women with age between 15–59 are engaged in caregiving activities. This is almost double the 21.4 percent rate of participation among men. Additionally, when women are involved, they work for almost double the time as compared to their male counterparts i.e., 140 minutes compared to 74 minutes. This is a reflection of a social order where caregiving is still predominantly considered as job of women, limiting the number of hours they can devote to earning activity.
Moreover, persons with age of 6 or above, who responded to the questions spent 171 minutes a day for activities related to culture, leisure and mass media use. The report reveals, “Male and female participants spent 177 minutes and 164 minutes, respectively in a day in such activities.”
Conclusion
As India moves towards modernization, the evidence identifies progress as well as ongoing disparities. Women are entering the labour force at a greater level than ever before, but expectations of caregiving and family work continue to remain entrenched in their day to day lives.
To close these gaps, it will take not only more employment for women, but also policies that redistribute household responsibilities, like affordable childcare, elder care assistance and cultural shifts that encourage joint responsibilities at home.
The transformation is underway, but for actual equality in use of time and economic contribution, India has a long way to go.
