India’s Supreme Court Puts Monetary Value on Women’s Unpaid Care Work
By Shobha Shukla – CNS
For millions of women, cooking, cleaning, raising children and caring for family members is treated as a duty rather than work.
India’s Supreme Court has now put a monetary value on that invisible labour.
In a landmark judgment delivered on 11 June 2026, the Court increased compensation to the family of Reshma, a homemaker and mother of three who died in a road accident in Punjab in 2001, from INR 8.43 lakh to INR 62.77 lakh.
More significantly, the Court ruled that unpaid domestic and caregiving work constitutes a distinct economic loss.
It directed that a homemaker’s contribution should be valued at a minimum of INR 30,000 a month when calculating accident compensation.
The Court also recognised the wider social and economic contribution of homemakers, rejecting the notion that women who do not earn a conventional salary are simply dependants.
Its observation was striking: households depend substantially on homemakers, yet that contribution rarely receives the recognition it deserves.
The judgment also exposed another painful reality, delayed justice. Reshma’s family waited about 24 years for the case to reach its conclusion.
The Court noted that such delays compound the suffering of families already dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Yet the ruling leaves a bigger question.
Why must a woman die before society properly counts the value of the work she performs every day?
The judgment is an important step towards recognising unpaid care work, but its significance should extend beyond compensation after death.
Women deserve economic and social recognition for their labour while they are alive.
The Supreme Court has started an important conversation. The next challenge is ensuring that society, policymakers and institutions listen.
Shobha Shukla is a feminist, health and development justice advocate and founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service).
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