Women and Unpaid Family Work: An empirical study of Kashmir

This paper explores the gendered dimensions of unpaid family work among women in Kashmir, focusing on their participation in household responsibilities and the unequal division of labor. Drawing upon empirical data from 75 women across four districts of the Kashmir Valley Pulwama, Kulgam, Kupwara, and Budgam the study investigates how unpaid work shapes women’s social and economic status. Data was collected through a structured, self-designed questionnaire examining patterns of unpaid labor and perceived effects on health and well-being. The study pursues three objectives: (1) to examine gender inequality in women’s participation in paid and unpaid work, (2) to analyze intra-household division of labor, and (3) to estimate the time women devote to unpaid work and its implications on their health. Findings reveal that women shoulder a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities particularly cooking, childcare, cleaning, and agricultural assistance often without social or economic recognition. Education emerged as a crucial factor enabling women to access paid employment and challenge gendered labor norms. The paper concludes that unpaid work constitutes a key dimension of women’s economic disempowerment, perpetuating gender inequality and invisibility in national statistics. It calls for recognition of unpaid labor in policy frameworks, equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities, and greater infrastructural and educational support for women.