Clinical History and Presentation
Women typically spend disproportionately more time on unpaid care work than men. On account of
gendered social norms that view unpaid care work as a female prerogative, women across different
regions, socio-economic classes and cultures spend an important part of their day on meeting the
expectations of their domestic and reproductive roles. This is in addition to their paid activities, thus
creating the “double burden” of work for women. How society and policy makers address issues
concerning care has important implications for the achievement of gender equality: they can either
expand the capabilities and choices of women and men, or confine women to traditional roles
associated with femininity and motherhood (Razavi, 2007). The unequal distribution of unpaid care
work between women and men represents an infringement of women’s rights (UN, 2013) and also a
brake on their economic empowerment.
This policy brief argues that gender inequality in unpaid care work is the missing link that influences
gender gaps in labour outcomes. The gender gap in unpaid care work has significant implications for
women’s ability to actively take part in the labour market and the type/quality of employment
opportunities available to them. Time is a limited resource, which is divided between labour and
leisure, productive and reproductive activities, paid and unpaid work. Every minute more that a
woman spends on unpaid care work represents one minute less that she could be potentially
spending on market-related activities or investing in her educational and vocational skills.
