Just a housewife: What counts as work, who decides, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court recently declared homemakers as "nation builders" and assigned a notional value of ₹30,000 per month for their unpaid domestic labor.
• This valuation is specifically for calculating compensation in motor accident cases involving the death of a homemaker.
• The judgment recognized "loss of domestic care" as a distinct and compensable head of damages.
• This decision aims to address the historical undervaluation of women's contributions within the household and society.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court's ruling was delivered on June 11, 2026, in the case of Shishupal @ Shish Ram and Ors. v. Surjeet and Ors.
• The judgment enhanced an insurance amount from ₹8.4 lakh to ₹62.78 lakh in a specific motor accident claim.
• It builds upon previous judgments like Arun Kumar Agrawal v. NIC (2010) and Kirti v. Oriental Insurance (2021), which also recognized the notional income of homemakers.
• The ruling is anchored in principles of gender justice and equality (Articles 14 and 15) and the dignity of life (Article 21) under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• Unpaid domestic and care work, predominantly performed by women, constitutes a significant portion of India's economy, estimated to be between 7.5% and over 40% of GDP by various reports.
• Women in India spend significantly more time on unpaid tasks (e.g., 36 hours weekly) compared to men (e.g., 16 hours weekly), impacting their participation in the formal workforce.
• The System of National Accounts (SNA), used for calculating GDP, typically excludes unpaid care work, making these contributions invisible in official economic metrics.
• Recognizing the economic value of unpaid work aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which focuses on achieving gender equality.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Unpaid Domestic Labour: Non-remunerated activities performed within a household, such as cooking, cleaning, and caregiving, that are essential for family well-being.
• Notional Value: An estimated or imputed monetary value assigned to goods or services that are not exchanged in a market, used for accounting or compensation purposes.
• Care Economy: The sector encompassing both paid and unpaid work involved in caring for others, including direct and indirect care activities that sustain human capabilities and quality of life.
• System of National Accounts (SNA): The international standard for measuring economic activity, which traditionally excludes the value of unpaid household production from GDP.