Caregiving role a major reason behind career break among women, finds survey

The conventional role assigned to them by society as caregivers to children and the elderly, and relocation after marriage have emerged as major reasons for career break among women, especially those aged between 30 and 34 years.

These were among the findings thrown up by an online survey conducted by the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission among 4,458 women job aspirants from 1,027 community development societies across the State between April 17 and May 17. A majority of respondents were those registered with the Knowledge Economy Mission’s Digital Workforce Management System.

The survey report was handed over to Veena George, Minister for Health and Women and Child Development, by Knowledge Economy Mission Director P.S. Sreekala.

While an overwhelmingly 57% of respondents cited their role as caregivers for giving up their careers, 20% cited marriage, which took them far away from workplaces. While 460 respondents cited low wages, 147 blamed lack of transportation for their career break. Interestingly, 175 respondents said they had to give up their jobs since their families were opposed to it.

However, 97% of women were interested in reviving their careers, and nearly 80% of them looked up for support from the Knowledge Economy Mission. While 65% needed skill training, 50% them specifically wanted vocational skill training. Another 15% needed soft skill training and 10% career counselling.

The survey observed that while girls accounted for 52.30% of students pursuing higher education compared to 34.50% of boys, when it comes to jobs, men at 55.60% were well ahead of women with a participation of mere 20.40%. Similarly, unemployment among educated men was a mere 4.90% compared to 17% among women. While only 6.60% of postgraduate men were unemployed, it was 34% among postgraduate women. “This disparity should be addressed for better personal, social and economic development,” the survey said.

Worrying trend

With the elderly among the population set to rise to 23% and one in every five to be elderly by 2036 as per studies, career break among women on account of their conventional role as caregivers is likely to get worse, the survey found.

“The State should facilitate an affordable and accessible care economy system parallel to the knowledge economy in which case it would help women engage in financially productive activities thus freeing them of their role as caregivers,” the survey said.

The survey called for interventions in the form of work-near-home and childcare facilities, safe transport, equal pay, and entrepreneurial opportunities for addressing gender disparity at workplaces and productivity of the educated.

“A comprehensive study based on demographic and academic profile of women with career breaks should be conducted for designing skill training programmes matching their education, talent, and aptitude,” the survey recommended.