AP Photo

Women constitute more than half the total workforce of India. For even so-called "housewives" or "home-makers" who do not have outside employment but do household chores are unpaid workers whose contribution is not recognised in any economic register or hisaab book. Like many-armed Durgas, they have to be multitaskers capable of cooking, washing utensils, keeping the house clean, maintaining the daily domestic budget, dispensing first aid for minor ailments, helping the children out with their homework, looking after elderly live-in parents, and in general doing whatever needs to be done to keep functional the basic unit of civilisation which is the family.