ABSTRACT
Economic theory and public policy have largely been blind to unpaid work, which is a feminist issue that challenges economic theory and public policy. Given its size, ethical component, relational quality and role in the sustainability of advanced economic systems, this work needs to be properly defined, measured, and placed within conventional economic theory. Rather than too little work, women tend to have too much of it, largely unpaid. To avoid mistakes in analyses and policies concerning women’s work, one must adopt a perspective different from that of mainstream economics, and begin to reason in terms of total labour – ‘formal’ paid work and unpaid domestic and ‘care’ work – and the material and ethical aspects of living conditions.
