What is care economy? Highlight the challenges associated with it and mention the steps taken to address them in India. (Answer in 150 words)

Care economy refers to the activities done by women and others towards providing care services in the form of nursing, fishing, household labors etc which enable individual to perform activities outside the household.

Household care of husband, elderly, etc. providing nursing services, unpaid domestic work.

Challenges associated:

1. There is no accounting of the monetary value of care economy

2. Feminization of care services - 95% are provided only by women

3. Patriarchy - does not consider them as work but consider them as duty of the women in household

3. Patriarchy - does not consider them as work but consider them as duty of the women in household

4. Inequity - between men and women as there are no economic benefits for women in care economy

5. Neglect - ignores the contribution towards economy by care work

Steps to address:

1. Demands by certain political parties to monetize care economy

2. Provision of Gender budgeting

3. Provision of Maternity Benefit Act

4. Provision of paternal leave on paternity

5. Criminalization of domestic violence is used to monetize care economy to fulfill SDG-5 (gender equality)