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Reducing and Redistributing Unpaid Work: Stronger Policies to Support Gender Equality

Author

Listed:
  • Cristian Alonso
  • Mariya Brussevich
  • Ms. Era Dabla-Norris
  • Yuko Kinoshita
  • Ms. Kalpana Kochhar

Abstract

Unpaid work, such as caring for children, the elderly, and household chores represents a significant share of economic activity but is not counted as part of GDP. Women disproportionately shoulder the burden of unpaid work: on average, women do two more hours of unpaid work per day than men, with large differences across countries. While much unpaid care work is done entirely by choice, constraints imposed by cultural norms, labor market features or lack of public services, infrastructure, and family-friendly policies matter. This undermines female labor force participation and lowers economy-wide productivity. In this paper, we examine recent trends in unpaid work around the world using aggregate and individual-level data, explore potential drivers, and identify policies that can help reduce and redistribute unpaid work across genders. Conservative model-based estimates suggest that the gains from these policies could amount to up to 4 percent of GDP.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristian Alonso & Mariya Brussevich & Ms. Era Dabla-Norris & Yuko Kinoshita & Ms. Kalpana Kochhar, 2019. "Reducing and Redistributing Unpaid Work: Stronger Policies to Support Gender Equality," IMF Working Papers 2019/225, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Andrea Salazar-Díaz, 2022. "Ingreso relativo, identidad de género y brecha en el trabajo doméstico no remunerado: Evidencia para Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1191, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    3. Mariya Brussevich & Era Dabla-Norris & Salma Khalid, 2022. "Who Bears the Brunt of Lockdown Policies? Evidence from Tele-workability Measures Across Countries," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(3), pages 560-589, September.
    4. Pushpendra Singh & Falguni Pattanaik & Archana Singh, 2023. "Beyond the Clock: Exploring the Complexities of Women’s Domestic Roles in India Through the Lenses of Daughters and Daughters-in-Law," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 66(2), pages 535-559, June.

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