It is well known that notions of work and employment in official data systems undermine women’s work. Difficulties abound with respect to the recognition and measurement of women’s ‘invisible’ work, made more complicated by distinctions such as paid and unpaid work; economic and non-economic activities; and market and non-market labour. All of this invisibilises and underestimates women’s unpaid and under-paid work.
While the gender gap in paid work has narrowed only slightly in developed countries, these have increased in ‘emerging economies’ such as India. Published by Orient Blackswan and edited by Praveen Jha, Avinash Kumar and Yamini Mishra Labouring Women: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary India explores these unfavourable trends and analyses the current position and condition of women’s work.
On November 19, 2021,Orient Blackswan held an online event to launch the book. The event was chaired by Nivedita Menon, Professor, Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and the panelists included Avinash Kumar, Assistant Professor, Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Indrani Mazumdar, Former Professor and Senior Fellow, Centre for Women’s Development Studies, Delhi; Aasha Kapur Mehta, Visiting Professor and Chairperson, Centre for Gender Studies, Institute of Human Development, New Delhi; Sumangala Damodaran, Professor of Economics, Development Studies, and Popular Music Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi; and Praveen Jha, Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
