Gender, Economics, and Unpaid Work

Synonyms

Domestic labor and care; Household production; Non-market work

Introduction

To understand work from a gender perspective, it is essential to acknowledge and value both paid employment and unpaid work. Paid employment garners wages; unpaid work is the production of goods or services that are consumed by those within or outside a household, but not for sale in the market (OECD 2016). Unpaid work includes housework, home maintenance, gardening, crop growing, and caring for children, elders, and those who are sick or are living with a disability. It is productive activity that contributes to the wealth of nations and the economic welfare and well-being of households, but is not remunerated. Because the distribution of labor reflects and creates financial disparity, how market and nonmarket work is divided by gender is a critical social issue.

Paid Work and Unpaid Work Are Both Productive

Unpaid work activities fulfill many important functions that directly affect the well-being,...