Working and Non-Working Women in Digital Era: Invisible Labour and Well-being

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23981305

Sonu Kumari and Annu (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, I. C. College of Community Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

The rapid growth of digital technology has significantly transformed the lives and work patterns of women across the world. The expansion of internet access, smartphones, digital platforms and flexible work arrangements has created new opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship and financial independence among women. At the same time, these developments have also intensified the challenges associated with balancing professional responsibilities and unpaid domestic work. Working women often perform a “double burden” by combining paid employment with household management, childcare, caregiving and emotional support, much of which remains socially and economically invisible. The present review paper aims to examine the concept of working women in the digital era with special reference to invisible labour and its impact on emotional well-being. The paper synthesizes available national and international literature on digital transformation, women’s workforce participation, digital literacy, worklife balance and unpaid care work. It also explores the role of invisible labour, including domestic work, caregiving, emotional labour and mental load, in shaping women’s physical health, mental health, self-worth and life satisfaction. The review highlights that although digital technologies provide flexibility and new career opportunities, they have also blurred the boundaries between work and home, increasing stress, burnout and emotional exhaustion among working women. The findings of the reviewed literature suggest that unequal distribution of unpaid domestic responsibilities and persistent gender norms continue to limit women’s well-being despite improvements in education and labour force participation. The paper concludes that recognition of invisible labour, promotion of digital literacy, supportive family environments, flexible workplace policies and gender-sensitive interventions are essential for improving the emotional well-being and quality of life of working women in the digital age.