The subject of women’s work and contributions to domestic productivity has been widely studied and debated in development research. In the context of recognising and evaluating women’s work, the Tamil Nadu government has announced the ‘Magalir Urimai Thogai’ of Rs1,000 monthly to eligible women.
While women’s entry into the labour force is seen as a prerequisite to achieving gender equality, the resulting independence has created ‘multiple burdens’ for women in paid work, domestic work, reproductive work, and so on. Despite having one of the lowest time estimates for women in unpaid work at the national level, TN still had a gender gap between women and men in unpaid work, according to the Time Use Survey, 2019, by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation.
Implementation is key
While the details on the beneficiaries have not yet been furnished, the selection criteria have huge implications for the women of the state. In the absence of the 2021 Census, to understand this better, we used weighted estimates from the Tamil Nadu Household Panel Survey’s Pre-Baseline Survey (PBS) 2018-19. (The TNHPS is an ongoing state-led panel survey studying the socio-economic trends in TN). The findings showed that most households were headed by men (81%) and female-headed households comprised just 19% (34.7 lakh).
Further unpacking showed that 84% of male heads were in paid work compared to 44.5% of female heads in paid work. Around 42% female heads were illiterate, 74% were widowed and 24% belonged to Schedule Caste and Tribe communities, thus meriting assistance. While the PBS used a standard definition of a household head who is the primary decision-maker, other administrative data from the Public Distribution System (PDS) for example, may consider the breadwinner of the family as the head, which could further complicate the process of identifying female heads.
Further, not all female heads may be economically deprived as voluntary migration by male members often renders women of the household as heads in many instances. Additionally, a large population of women (1.23 crore) exist in TN that are homemakers and are not essentially heads. We see a staggering difference between the number of estimated female heads compared to the overall number of female homemakers in the state as per the PBS. Even though all these women will not be eligible for assistance, if the scheme only targets female heads, a large category of female homemakers who are involved in daily domestic and care work but are not essentially ‘heads’ would fall through the cracks. The key to the success of this scheme truly lies in its implementation. Hence, the state should triangulate its other administrative and survey data repositories to ensure an optimal selection of women.
Empowering more women
While the idea of monetising women’s work through a Wages for Housework (WFH) framework is feminist at its core, it has also been critiqued. A concern is the possibility of this further entrenching gender roles through incentivising unpaid work and deterring women’s entry into the labour market. Even though the criticism is valid, it is important to note that the involvement in paid work emerges from aspirations, education, skills and most importantly, domestic and social support systems that not all women enjoy. Since most women heads were illiterate and widowed as seen in the PBS, right-based assistance would be highly beneficial in not just supplementing the household incomes but also gaining bargaining power and financial security.
However, the scheme alone may not be sufficient in combatting gender inequality. The other side of the coin is the alarming drop in the female labour force participation rates in TN. The PBS showed that only 33% of women are involved in the labour force whereas a whopping 73% of men were involved in the same. Further, employment decreased with increasing levels of education where 14% of women with higher education (Diploma, Bachelor or Master’s degrees) were not in the labour force in TN.
This is a cause for concern for the state and requires policy measures aimed at creating more jobs and skilling measures, especially for the educated and semi-educated women. Women’s entry into the labour market will provide more permanent social and economic protections, which would lead to the eventual shrinkage of the beneficiaries of this scheme. Hence, a two-pronged approach is needed from the state to not just invest in female heads but also to enable women to enter and stay in the labour market.
Footnote is a weekly column that discusses issues relating to Tamil Nadu
Female labour force
The drop in the female labour force participation rates in TN is alarming. The PBS showed that only 33% of women are involved in the labour force whereas a whopping 73% of men were involved in the same
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are that of the authors and do not endorse or reflect views of the MIDS.
Kripa Ananth Pur is associate professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies & project coordinator of the Tamil Nadu Household Panel Survey
Gargi Sridharan is a doctoral researcher at MIDS