Relevance for UPSC: GS Paper I (Society, Women) and GS Paper III (Economy, Technology & Employment)
Source: The Hindu; debates on Artificial Intelligence and future of work

Context

As Artificial Intelligence–driven technologies transform jobs, Indian women face a serious upskilling disadvantage. 

The constraint is not skill or aspiration, but chronic time poverty caused by the unequal burden of unpaid care and domestic work. This risks pushing women out of emerging, technology-intensive employment.

Key Evidence

• Time Use Survey (2024):
  • Women spend significantly more total hours per day on paid and unpaid work than men.
  • Time available for learning, reskilling and self-development is substantially lower for women.
• Unpaid care burden:
  • Women perform two to three times more unpaid care work.
  • Highest burden during prime working ages, when career progression and upskilling are crucial.
• Labour market risk:
  • Women are overrepresented in routine, low-paid and automation-prone jobs, increasing vulnerability in the Artificial Intelligence transition.

Why It Matters

Artificial Intelligence rewards continuous learning and adaptability. If time constraints remain unaddressed, technological change may deepen gender inequality, weaken women’s labour force participation, and reduce the gains from India’s demographic dividend.

Policy Direction

• Recognise unpaid care work using Time Use data in planning and budgeting.
• Expand childcare, eldercare, water and clean energy infrastructure to reduce time poverty.
• Design flexible, modular and digital skill programmes aligned to women’s time realities.

Q. With reference to women and upskilling in the age of Artificial Intelligence, consider the following statements:

1. Unequal unpaid care work reduces women’s capacity for continuous skill development.
2. Jobs dominated by women are generally less exposed to automation risks.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2