Unpaid, yet women’s work valued at Rs 15,935 crore

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 19

Although women have more than 50 per cent representation in urban local bodies and panchayati raj institutions, their unpaid contribution towards the family, estimated to the tune of Rs 15,935 crore, remains unrecognised and formally unorganised in the state.

Out of the total population of 68.64 lakh (Census 2011), women comprise 49.28 per cent. At least 21 per cent households are headed by women and their literacy rate is 75.93 per cent.

However, their contribution to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the shape of unpaid work, estimated at 12.80 per cent, is yet to be recognised.

The startling revelations have come to the fore following a survey by the State Economic and Statistics Department.

The sample comprised 5,332 households selected randomly. These included 79.3 per cent from rural and 20.7 per cent from urban areas. The monthly income of 34.49 per cent was less than Rs 10,000, 24.04 households had income between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 and 15.19 per cent between Rs 15,000 and 20,000. At least 96.8 per cent families do domestic works themselves while 2.9 per cent get these done on payment of wages.

It has also come to the fore that women are engaged in unpaid work in agricultural activities, domestic works, stitching, knitting and spinning, besides teaching their children and helping them in homework. The assessed value of work per month per woman was Rs 9,459 while the total value worked out was  Rs 15,939 crore. 

The assessed value of unpaid work in the rural and urban areas was Rs 13,990 crore and Rs 787 crore, respectively, with the contribution from agriculture activities highest at Rs 8,947 crore, followed by domestic chores (Rs 4,153 crore), teaching children (Rs 1,814 crore) and stitching and knitting etc (Rs 1,026 crore).

The survey was conducted in four rounds between July 2015 and June 2016. It pointed out that the number of women involved in agricultural activities was far more at 61.2 per cent in rural areas as compared to 14.7 per cent in urban areas. The percentage of those engaged in domestic works was 45.9 per cent in urban areas and 24.4 per cent in rural areas.

Only 3.67 per cent women were in regular salaried jobs and 1.5 per cent in the private sector while 1.13 per cent were engaged as labourers in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors. 

An encouraging fact that came to light in the survey was that the female sex ratio increased from 968 to 972 and that of 0-6 year age group rose from 896 to 909 between 2001 and 2011. 

The total working population of Himachal was 35.59 lakh in 2011, of which 15.16 lakh were women. 

Economic survey report says

• At least 21 per cent households in the hill state are headed by women. Their literacy rate is 75.93 per cent
• Out of the total population of 68.64 lakh (Census 2011), that of women is 49.28 per cent
• Women are engaged in unpaid work in agricultural activities, domestic works, stitching, knitting and spinning, besides teaching their children and helping them in homework
• An encouraging fact that came to light in the survey was that the female sex ratio increased from 968 to 972 and that of 0-6 year age group rose from 896 to 909 between 2001 and 2011