Mothers in the Workforce: Why India Must Reimagine Childcare Now

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The Supreme Court recently issued a directive to Himachal Pradesh in the case of Shalini Dharmani vs. The State of Himachal Pradesh. This has highlighted the disproportionate childcare burden on women, urging Indian policymakers to enhance childcare infrastructure and support for working mothers.

The court mandated a reassessment of child care leave policies and support for mothers of children with special needs. This underlines the need to uphold the rights of working mothers, facilitating their workforce participation and addressing broader childcare needs.

The discussion on childcare has gained global momentum, including in India, where awareness has grown about working women bearing the majority of childcare responsibilities.

Balancing Acts: A Unique Challenge

A recurring question from moms is, “Who’s going to take care of the kids? And the sick? And the elderly?” Dad’s favorite answer is, “That’s your job, you lucky girl.”

The quote mentioned earlier was from Nancy Folbre’s work “Who Pays for the Child”, published as early as 1999. She argued that this explanation was unfair, though somewhat pragmatic. Fathers were willing to financially support the family, as they expected financial benefits, while mothers’ choices were limited.

However, even after more than two decades, the situation largely remains the same globally. Fathers are typically engaged in paid employment to provide economic resources for the family, while mothers are mainly involved in unpaid domestic labor.

Key changes in the rephrased version:

Used more formal/academic language in some parts (e.g. “the quote mentioned earlier” instead of “The above quote”).

Expanded on the idea of fathers’ “pecuniary benefits” and mothers’ “restricted choices”.

Used more concise phrasing in the second paragraph to convey the same meaning.

Replaced “fathers willingly support” with “fathers were willing to financially support” for clarity.

Used “unpaid domestic labor” instead of “family labour” for precision.

The 2022-23 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) shows an increase in female participation, mostly among unpaid family members. While nearly all fathers are in the labor market in both urban and rural areas, only 41% of mothers participate, with 45% in rural and 28% in urban areas. Motherhood is influenced by biological determinism and societal expectations, impacting women’s career decisions. Women’s reproductive roles often lead to lower social status and create conflicts between childbirth and career growth. Consequently, working mothers struggle to stay in the labor market due to societal pressures around motherhood.

The conflict between work and childcare leads many mothers to stay out of the labor market. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2022-23), 43.4% of mothers cited childcare and 38.4% cited household responsibilities as reasons for non-participation. For fathers, the main reasons were health issues and end of contract. Additionally, 93% of mothers mentioned childcare and homemaking commitments as reasons for being out of the labor force, while fathers primarily cited health reasons.

Stress and guilt

The gender gap in unpaid care work is most significant when fathers work and mothers do not, with women often sacrificing their careers. Analysis of India’s Time Use Survey (2019) shows working mothers spend an average of 87 minutes daily on childcare, 3.8 times more than men (23 minutes). Co-residence with elders is the second most common childcare arrangement after parental care. Grandmothers spend an average of 56 minutes daily on childcare, compared to 21 minutes by grandfathers. This disparity is often attributed to women’s nurturing nature, but economist Jayati Ghosh argues that except for childbirth and breastfeeding, all tasks should be shared equally.

The perceptions surrounding motherhood are not evolving as quickly as one might anticipate. Based on the World Value Survey (2017-2022), approximately 34.5% strongly agreed and 37.4% agreed that young children suffer when their mothers work (Figure 6). This prevailing belief that mothers are primarily responsible for a child’s overall development creates significant societal pressure on women, often leading to feelings of “mommy guilt” for not doing enough. Working mothers experience heightened levels of guilt as they strive to balance their professional obligations, household chores, and the nurturing and education of their children.

The lower average daily time spent by working mothers on self-care, socializing, religious practices, leisure, and personal care and maintenance, as shown in the analysis of Indian time use data (2019), can be linked to feelings of mommy guilt and societal expectations. According to Figure 7, working mothers allocate significantly less time to self-care, socializing, religious practices, leisure, and personal care and maintenance compared to men. On average, working mothers spend 96 minutes on socializing and spiritual activities, 79 minutes on leisure activities such as watching TV, relaxing, exercising, and participating in cultural activities, and only 663 minutes on personal care and maintenance, including sleeping, eating, and personal hygiene.

In contrast, men spend 133 minutes on socializing and religious activities, 99 minutes on leisure, and 703 minutes on personal care and maintenance. This underscores the importance of redistributing childcare responsibilities and promoting alternative childcare arrangements.

There is ongoing debate about whether mothers willingly take on tasks such as getting the kids ready for school and managing the household, or if they feel pressured to do so. The distinction between feeling coerced and having a genuine interest in these responsibilities is not always clear. Women may feel compelled to embrace these tasks due to deeply ingrained gender roles that dictate these duties as inherently theirs.

It is commonly understood that parental involvement during a child’s formative years plays a crucial role in shaping their social, psychological, and educational development. However, it is important to change the way we talk about childcare and view it as a fundamental necessity rather than just a nice addition. Both mothers and fathers should share the responsibility of childcare. Despite the Maternity Benefit Act of 2017 mandating employers to provide childcare facilities, many organizations still do not have functional daycare centers, often claiming a lack of demand. It is crucial for employers to actively offer these services and provide information to potential employees so they can make informed decisions about their employment.

Taking time off from work due to motherhood has become normalized, and this normalization should also extend to fathers taking paternity leave. There is a clear need for paternity benefits to encourage fathers to take advantage of this opportunity. By reimagining childcare as a shared responsibility, we can create more inclusive and supportive environments that recognize the unseen work of mothers. This approach not only enhances the productivity and financial well-being of mothers but also contributes to the overall social good. It’s time for a fresh, constructive conversation about childcare and the needs of working parents, acknowledging its crucial role in maintaining the foundation of our communities. Childcare is a collective responsibility that goes beyond the boundaries of the family, with the state also playing a role in ensuring support for childcare as a fundamental need for children and working parents.

Child Care Leave provision in India is governed by the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972.

Female and single male Government servants are eligible for up to 730 days of child care leave during their entire service to care for their two eldest surviving children. They will receive 100% of their salary for the first 365 days and 80% of their salary for the subsequent 365 days.
Maternity Leave is granted to female Government servants (including apprentices) with less than two surviving children for a period of 180 days from the commencement date.
Paternity Leave is available to male Government servants (including apprentices) with fewer than two surviving children for a duration of 15 days, which can be taken before or after the child’s birth. It cannot be availed for more than three times in a calendar year. However, single female Government servants may be granted leave for up to six spells in a calendar year.