The latest Bollywood release "Mrs" has sparked significant discussion regarding gender roles within Indian households, revealing uncomfortable truths about women's unpaid domestic responsibilities. The film's protagonist, an educated woman married to a gynaecologist, finds herself ensnared in an endless loop of cooking, cleaning, and caregiving, her aspirations stifled not by overt coercion, but by subtle societal pressures.
While "Mrs," a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film "The Great Indian Kitchen," has attracted both interest and backlash—especially from men's rights activists on social media—its themes resonate with troubling government statistics. A recent government survey indicates that Indian women dedicate over seven hours daily to unpaid domestic and caregiving duties, well over double that of their male counterparts. Specifically, women are recorded spending 289 minutes on domestic chores and an additional 137 minutes on caregiving, whereas men clock in at 88 minutes for chores and 75 minutes for caring roles.
This disappointing situation persists, highlighted by six years of stagnant data since the last Time Use Survey (TUS). Although the government has initiated programs aimed at women's empowerment, real change has yet to manifest.
The TUS collects data from individuals aged six to 59 about their activities over the previous day to understand time utilization nationwide. The recent survey revealed a marginal decline of ten minutes in the time women spend on unpaid domestic work, alongside a slight rise in their employment participation rates. It appears that women's roles are gradually transitioning from unpaid to paid activities; however, experts argue that this shift is not as straightforward as it seems.
Ashwini Deshpande, an economics professor at Ashoka University, asserts that the TUS data requires scrutiny in conjunction with India's Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR). The FLFPR illustrates a hike from approximately 23% in 2017-2018 to 37% in 2022-2023, a change Deshpande attributes in part to economic pressures rather than purely increased job opportunities.
"Women are not waiting for their time spent on domestic work to shrink before entering the workforce. They often take on 'double-shifts,' balancing both paid and unpaid tasks," she says.
The issue of disproportionate domestic responsibilities among women is not unique to India but rather a global challenge. Yet, the disparity is greater in India, where women are noted to spend nearly four hours more on domestic tasks than men, compared to a global average of 2.8 hours.
Sociological factors come into play, with deeply ingrained patriarchy enforcing rigid gender norms that persist even among the educated elite. This cultural backdrop influences how narratives about women are constructed and received. While "Mrs" resonates with audiences, it concurrently faces sharp criticism; critics claim it propagates a negative image of traditional joint families.
Mumbai comedian Kajol Srinivasan reflects on her father's experience of taking over household chores, illustrating that even temporarily stepping into traditionally feminine roles can illuminate ingrained imbalances. "Housework is not just a job; it's about power dynamics," she notes, highlighting how societal perceptions categorize women based on their nurturing roles.
Despite the slow pace of social change revealed by the Time Use Survey, films like "Mrs" play a crucial role in igniting discussions that question everyday practices surrounding domestic labor. They provoke fundamental questions about gender equity, prompting society to confront the enduring reality of, "Who's doing the dishes?"
