Shamika Ravi, economist and member of the economic advisory council to the Prime Minister of India said that Indian society must value and respect the immense contribution of Indian home-makers in nation building.
Shamika, who delivered a lecture on the topic, “Work, women and Viksit Bharat @2047” at the International Centre Goa on Friday evening quoted several research documents and said, “We need not blindly ape the advanced countries. We must start quantifying the invaluable contribution of home-makers in Indian society. They are bringing up our children and holding the family together.”
Expressing concern at the drop in number of women in the workforce in urban India from 29 per cent to just 16 per cent in recent years, Shamika attributed it to the lack of robust child care and elder care facilities. “This forces many highly educated women to stay at home, where nuclear families are a norm.”
She also expressed concern at the fast deteriorating levels of mental health among working women. “Urban working women are getting only about 30 minutes of leisure time every day, resulting in adverse mental health issues. A mental health pandemic is waiting to happen,” she said.
Shamika also expressed concern over the drop in fertility rates in double income, urban families. “This is greatly shrinking our work force and increasing the number of dependant people such as senior citizens in India,” Shamika said.
Keeping her focus on women, Shamika also pointed out how 25 per cent of all death by suicide in India was among women. “This number is larger than the more publicized farmer suicides,” she said.
Other key points from Shamika Ravi’s lecture:
· Percentage of “below the poverty line” people in India dropped from 29 per cent in 2012 to 3.9 per cent in 2024.
· India has 35 % educated unemployed and only 6% illiterate unemployed people.
· Rapid industrialization is need of the hour.
· Several states in India have moved away from traditional agriculture to fisheries and horticulture
· A new skills ministry has been formed at the centre to focus on skill-based education.
