The association between couples' education and gender gap in unpaid care work in India

Abstract

AbstractThis cross‐sectional study utilizes data from the 2019 India Time‐Use Survey to examine the relationship between education and the gender gap in unpaid care work among married couples in India. Results from the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression demonstrate a paradox where more educated or equally educated wives tend to spend more time on unpaid care work compared to their husbands. Women from marginalized backgrounds face a heightened burden of unpaid uare work, while employment status emerges as an important factor that reduces the gender divide in unpaid care work. The Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) decomposition analysis reveals that employment and other personal and household factors account for 22.86% and 43.15% of the total effect on time spent on unpaid care work for wives who have the same as or higher level of education than their husbands, respectively. These findings bring to light the continued issue of gender inequality in India and emphasize the need for reforms in care work and the labor market.