Chapter 8: Men's Participation in Unpaid Care Work: The Case of Working Couples in Delhi NCR

Unpaid care work in India remains deeply gendered, with women shouldering a disproportionate burden despite rising workforce participation. Flexible and remote work arrangements have created opportunities for more equitable sharing of care work, but men's engagement remains limited due to cultural norms, workplace biases, and family expectations. This study examines the impact of flexible working time on men's participation in unpaid care work in Delhi NCR, employing a mixed-methods approach that combines secondary data from the Time Use Survey (TUS, 2019 and 2024), the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS, 2023–2024), and existing policy frameworks with qualitative interviews of five dual-income heterosexual couples. Findings reveal a persistent perception gap: men often view their contributions as substantial, while women report that caregiving, cooking, and emotional labor remain largely their responsibility. Flexibility through work-from-home (WFH) arrangements has not translated into consistent caregiving by men, whose involvement remains discretionary. Family structures further shape patterns; joint families reinforce traditional roles, while nuclear households offer greater scope for shared responsibilities. Men who have previously lived independently demonstrate greater sensitivity to household labor, while those who never left parental homes remain less engaged. Workplace cultures also perpetuate inequality, as caregiving is implicitly framed as a woman's responsibility, making it difficult for men to take leave or prioritize unpaid work. Despite incremental improvements, unpaid care work remains overwhelmingly feminized. To address these disparities, the study calls for targeted interventions, including non-transferable paternity leave, supportive workplace norms, and region-specific childcare models that normalize men's role as caregivers and advance gender-equitable care work.