Economic Contribution of the Housewife: Issues for Discussion

Thsi week's gorup has identified the following issues for discussion:

1. In today’s world where women have increasingly been accorded independent legal status, what is the purpose of quantification of housewives’ services and should we determine the purpose before evolving a scientific mode of evaluation of the same?

2. What are the different modes of quantification of unremunerated domestic activities of women? Here the assessment of compensation will be looked at from two perspectives:
a) where, as a result of injury or death, the services of the housewife have been lost
b) where, as a result of injury, additional services have to be provided

3. Why have the Courts in India thought of this issue to be an important one for the purposes of discussion and have the judgments arrived at any significant conclusion?

4. What is the legal impact of quantification of services of the housewife? This will be looked at from the perspective of:
A) tort action in the case of personal injury, death and care for an injured member of the family
B) insurance law; and
C) matrimonial property disputes

5. What are the reasons for the gender division of labour?

6. Who can be held responsible for the perception of women being less efficient than men in the labour force?

7. What are the various barriers which prevent women from entering the labour market?

8. How has Australian law dealt with the issue of measurement and quantification of homemaker’s contribution? (Principle of quantification)

9. What is the rationale for departing from a set norm and coming up with such law? (Principle of justification)

10. What has been the role of CEDAW in promoting such laws?

11. How successful has the law been in achieving its purpose and what has been its impact on society?

12. Can the recognition of the right to matrimonial property help quantify the economic contribution of a housewife?

13. What are the existing property relations between a husband and wife? What is the relief available to her in case of termination of marriage?

14. Will it be feasible to implement in India, the system of 'community of property' where both the spouses have equal rights to matrimonial property? Will this help quantify the 'invisible' contribution of the housewife?

15. How has concept of matrimonial home in India been affected by judicial discretion?

16. How has this discretion affected the rights of working/educated married women?