Gender Disparities in Unpaid Work and Labor Force Participation
Indian Economy
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Directly relates to social justice, women empowerment, economic development, and the realization of the demographic dividend. Addressing these disparities is crucial for inclusive growth and human development.
Gender disparities in unpaid work refer to the unequal distribution of household chores and caregiving responsibilities between men and women, often leading to lower female labor force participation and economic independence. This impacts women's career choices and overall socio-economic status.
Facts & tables
- Unpaid work disparity
- Women spend over 5 hours/day; men spend ~0.5 hours
- Paid work participation
- 15% of young women vs. 55% of young men
- Impact on women
- Often feel they must choose between career and family
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Role of Women & Women's Organizations |
| Conceptual area | Social Empowerment |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Government (various ministries) | Policy formulation and implementation for women's empowerment and labor |
| Private sector | Promoting family-friendly workplaces |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Women spend 10x more time on unpaid work than men.
- Low female labor force participation (15% vs 55% for men).
- Limits women's career choices and economic independence.
- Requires policies for shared caregiving, flexible work.
- Impacts overall economic growth and demographic dividend.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2025 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2020 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2019 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2018 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2018 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2018 | Conceptual understanding, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
-
Role of Women & Women's Organizations
Conceptual area
-
Social Empowerment
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2018
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2018
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2018
Conceptual understanding, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2019
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2020
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2025
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2026
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
What India’s young people are saying about families
Significant gender disparities exist in India regarding unpaid care work and labor force participation, with women bearing a disproportionate burden, limiting their economic opportunities and contributing to broader social inequalities.
See also
Past papers
2018–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
What India’s young people are saying about families
Significant gender disparities exist in India regarding unpaid care work and labor force participation, with women bearing a disproportionate burden, limiting their economic opportunities and contributing to broader social inequalities.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements:
1. Vietnam has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world in recent years.
2. Vietnam is led by a multi-party political system.
3. Vietnam's economic growth is linked to its integration with global supply chains and focus on exports.
4. For a long time, Vietnam's low labor costs and stable exchange rates have attracted global manufacturers.
5. Vietnam has the most productive e-service sector in the Indo-Pacific region.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Vietnam’s open economic policy of recent years integrating into global supply chains has made the growth success story possible. Vietnam's export-led growth strategy and global integration are among the key factors behind the country's remarkable achievements in growth and poverty. Vietnam was one among the few countries to post GDP growth rate figures in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Vietnam is projected to be the fastest-growing internet economy in Southeast Asia in the next 10 years. Statement 2 is not correct. Vietnam is a one-party communist state, not a multi-party parliamentary democracy. Statement 4 is correct. Thanks to an abundance of low-wage labour, Vietnam's manufacturing sector grew at a compound annual growth in the last decade. As the rest of East Asia developed and wages there rose, global manufacturers were lured by Vietnam's low labour costs and stable exchange rate. Hence, Statement 5 is not correct. According to the Asian Development Bank Report, e-services including digital financial services are at a very nascent stage in Vietnam.
Consider the following statements
1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.
Which of the two statements given above is/are correct
Statement 1 is correct. Domestic production of edible oil in 2018 was around 100 Lakh Metric tons (LMT) while import was around 150 LMT. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Government of India does impose customs duties on imported edible oils. The rates of these duties may vary depending on various factors, including the type of edible oil, international market conditions, and government policies aimed at promoting domestic production or protecting domestic producers.
Which of the following international conventions have **not** been ratified by India?
1. Employment Policy Convention
2. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
3. International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
4. Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
5. Convention on Reduction of Statelessness
Select the answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (ILO No. 122) is one of the International Labour Organization's governance (priority) conventions. India ratified it on November 17, 1998. Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (ILO No. 105) is a fundamental ILO convention. India ratified it on May 18, 2000. Statement 3 is Correct: The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990) is a UN multilateral treaty. India has neither signed nor ratified this convention. Statement 4 is Incorrect: The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949) (also known as the Fourth Geneva Convention) was ratified by India on November 9, 1950, and implemented domestically via the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960. *(Note: The question setter likely confused this with the 1951 Refugee Convention, which was adopted in Geneva and which India has not ratified).* Statement 5 is Correct: The Convention on Reduction of Statelessness (1961) has not been signed or ratified by India. India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the 1954 Convention on Statelessness, or this 1961 Convention. *Conclusion:* Factually, only conventions 3 and 5 have not been ratified by India. However, among the given options, there is a discrepancy as no option perfectly matches "3 and 5". Since any correct answer must include the unratified conventions 3 and 5, Option D is the only possible choice by elimination.
With reference to the Government of India, consider the following information:
| Organization | Some of its Functions | It Works Under |
|--------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Directorate of Enforcement | Enforcement of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 | Internal Security Division-I, Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Directorate of Revenue Intelligence | Enforces the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 | Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance |
| Directorate General of Systems and Data Management | Carrying out big data analytics to assist tax officers for better policy and nabbing tax evaders | Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance |
In how many of the above rows is the information correctly matched?
The question relates to the correct mapping of key investigative and analytical bodies under the Government of India and their parent ministries or departments. ❌ Row I: Incorrect The Directorate of Enforcement does implement the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, but it functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, not the Ministry of Home Affairs. ✅ Row II: Correct The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) enforces the Customs Act, 1962 and works under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. ✅ Row III: Correct The Directorate General of Systems and Data Management aids in big data analytics for tax enforcement and operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
With reference of the Indian economy after the 1991 economic liberalization, consider the following statements:
1. Worker productivity (per worker at 2004-05 prices) increased in urban areas while it decreased in rural areas.
2. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce steadily increased.
3. In rural areas, the growth in non-farm economy increased.
4. The growth rate in rural employment decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. After the 1991 economic liberalization, worker productivity increased both in urban and rural areas. While urban areas experienced higher growth, rural areas also saw improvements, especially with the rise in non-farm activities. Statement 2 is incorrect. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce has steadily decreased since liberalization. This is because more people have moved to urban areas for employment in the industrial and service sectors, contributing to the growing urban workforce. Statement 3 is correct. In rural areas, the growth of the non-farm economy increased significantly. With liberalization, the diversification of rural economies into sectors like manufacturing, construction, and services grew, reducing the dependency on agriculture. Statement 4 is correct. The growth rate in rural employment decreased after 1991. While the rural economy diversified, the agricultural sector did not provide enough employment opportunities to absorb all the labor, leading to lower growth in rural employment. Hence, option B is the correct answer.
Show 3 more PYQs
As per the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, consider the following statements
1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 per cent belong to OBCs.
3. In Kerala, a little over 60 per cent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Statement 1 is correct: In the NSSO 70th Round survey, Rajasthan had the highest percentage of rural agricultural households at 78.4%, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 74.8% and Madhya Pradesh at 70.8%. Statement 2 is incorrect: Among agricultural households, 45% were from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 16% from Scheduled Castes (SC), and 13% from Scheduled Tribes (ST). Statement 3 is correct: In most major states, agricultural activities were the primary income source, except in Kerala, where 61% earned more from non-agricultural sources.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?
1. Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
2. Enterprises with crèches must allow the mother minimum six crèche visits daily.
3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017 has made several significant changes to benefit women employees - Paid maternity leave has been increased to 26 weeks from 12 weeks. - For women expecting after having 2 children, the leave duration remains at 12 weeks. - Establishments employing 50 or more employees must provide a crche facility, and women employees should be allowed to visit the facility 4 times during the day.
Consider the following statements: Human capital formation as a concept is better explained in terms of a process, which enables
1. individuals of a country to accumulate more capital.
2. increasing the knowledge, skill levels and capacities of the people of the country.
3. accumulation of tangible wealth.
4. accumulation of intangible wealth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Human capital formation refers to the process of increasing the stock of knowledge, skills, and experiences that people in a country possess. This intangible wealth is what makes a workforce productive and adaptable.
Therefore, statement 2 and 4 are correct.