Work and Leisure Oriented Time Use Pattern among Male, Female and Third Gender

One of the long-standing social issues extending to everyday activity is gender-based inequality. An appropriate method to study gender inequality would be to observe how different genders spend their time on various activities. The core purpose of the study is to check whether there is a significant difference in how different genders allocate their time to various activities. Another purpose of the study is to emphasise the time spent on work and leisure by different genders and to identify factors that impact an individual’s work–life balance. The study used the unit-level data from National Sample Survey Organisation's (NSSO) first Time Use Survey 2019. The study sample is restricted to a population aged 15 years and above, comprising 382,228 persons: 192,266 males, 189,854 females and 108 of the third gender. Work-oriented and leisure-oriented time allocation has been defined as the population above one standard deviation of the mean time spent on the activities. Stratified logistic regressions based on gender have been used to understand the influence of factors on work and leisure time allocation. Results show that males spent substantially more time on employment and related activities, while females spent substantially more time on unpaid domestic and caregiving services. Consuming meals constitutes the second most time-intensive activity for males and the third gender, whereas meal preparation ranks as the second most time-consuming activity for females. Regression results show that females are more likely to be work-oriented (odds ratio [OR] = 3.741) and males are more likely to be leisure-oriented. The odds for work orientation are as high as nine times for currently married females as compared to never-married females. The odds of leisure orientation are significantly higher for urban residents and higher levels of education than their respective counterparts. The top 10 time-consuming activities of the females are confined within the walls of the house and thus rightfully constitute the cornerstone for the smooth functioning and well-being of the household. A reassessment and revaluation of unpaid domestic and caregiving would go a long way in enhancing the well-being of females and households.