Unveiling the Price Tag on Unpaid Labour: Decoding Gender Disparities in Time Allocation among Married Women and Men in Kollam District, Kerala

In today’s dynamic and competitive world, women’s workforce participation will not only result in economic development but also help them achieve financial independence. Providing better educational opportunities for women has helped them break the social, economic and political glass ceiling. However, education in itself cannot bring them into the workforce. The state of Kerala in India is often celebrated for its high literacy rate and progressive stance on gender equality. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2021–2022), the female workforce participation rate of the state was only 32 per cent. One important reason for India’s low female labour force participation is mainly rigid societal norms that obligate women to undertake unpaid care work at home, over and above their interests and passions. This study found that married women in Kollam district spent two and a half times more time on unpaid work as compared to married men.