Employment and Time Allocation of Rural Women

Recent surveys indicate a significant increase in overall employment, particularly self-employment, among rural women since 2017-18. Many of these women are engaged as helpers in home-based enterprises. This trend raises questions about how women are reallocating their time, especially given their traditional roles in domestic chores.

Time Use and Domestic Work

• Time Use Survey Findings: According to the 2019 Time Use Survey of India, women spend a large portion of their day on cooking.
• In a detailed survey of rural Indore: 
  1. Women spend an average of 60 hours per week on domestic tasks.
  2. Over 40 hours are dedicated to cooking and cleaning, equating to almost four hours daily.
  3. 75% of these women use firewood and cow dung, making cooking time-consuming and hazardous to health due to smoke inhalation.

Impact of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)

• Time-Saving Potential: LPG usage reduces cooking time by 30 minutes compared to solid fuels.
• Households with LPG access experience reduced time spent on: 
  1. Dung collection by approximately 70 minutes per week.
  2. Firewood collection by about 10 minutes per week.
• The time saved is primarily reallocated to leisure rather than income-generating activities.

Barriers to Increased Labor Force Participation

• Nature of Fuel Collection: Typically done weekly, reducing daily time savings.
• Insufficient Time Savings: The 20-30 minute daily savings from cooking is inadequate for women to engage in full-time employment.
• Low Value of Saved Time: Estimated at about 5% of rural monthly household income due to low wages for unskilled, manual labor.
• Lack of Employment Opportunities: Access to jobs with higher returns is limited in rural areas.
• Low Female Employment Rate: Only 15% female employment, mainly in agricultural self-employment.

Challenges with LPG Usage

• Despite the PMUY's success, LPG usage remains low in rural India due to mixed-fuel cooking practices.
• Average annual LPG cylinder refills are about three, compared to a potential maximum of 12 for exclusive LPG use.
• Decisions on LPG refills are usually made by men, limiting women's influence and reinforcing the use of traditional fuels.

Future Research and Observations

The 2024 Time Use Survey shows a slight increase in employment and time spent on work activities by women. However, the reasons for the 20 percentage point rise in women's self-employment since 2017-18 remain unclear. Further data is needed to distinguish between methodological changes in surveys and actual shifts in women's time allocation.