Women’s unpaid work must be included in GDP calculations: lessons from history

Source: Luke Messac
Affiliation: The Conversation

In this article, Luke Messac argues that unpaid houshold labor should be included in calculations of GDP. Gross Domestic Product is a overarching measurement of economic activity. By only counting goods and services that are bought and sold, GDP measurements overlook unpaid (and largely female) household labor. Messac highlights a number of feminist scholars and their criticisms of this measurement. Some scholars argue that these inaccuracies makes it more difficult to enact policies that guarantee equitable distribution. Messac concludes that such economic measurements ought to be more accurate in order to stop overlooking women's work and also to overcome the harmful gender roles that consign women to a disproportionate amount of household labor. 

Keywords: Division of Labor , Government , Politics