Editorial 2 : Dark Circles Tell Stories
Context: India’s women are facing a sleep crisis.
Introduction: ResMed Global Sleep Survey Findings
- Women experience fewer nights of good sleep weekly (3.83 vs. 4.13 for men).
- 38% of women struggle to fall asleep vs. 29% of men.
- Menopause impact: 44% of menopausal women globally face sleep issues 3+ times weekly.
- Health consequences: 17% of Indian women take sick leave due to poor sleep vs. 12% of men.
Root Causes of Women’s Sleep Deprivation
- Gendered Caregiving Roles
- Primary responsibility: Women remain default caregivers for children and the elderly, even when employed.
- Double burden: Paid work along with unpaid domestic labour (second shift).
- Societal expectations: Women’s careers are conditional on maintaining household duties (e.g. cooking during commutes).
- Structural & Economic Barriers
- Lack of infrastructure
- Scarcity of affordable daycare centres and government-run crèches.
- Reliance on unreliable nannies or elderly family members for childcare.
- Income inequality: Low wages in semi-urban areas prevent access to support services.
- Workplace Inequities
- Inadequate maternity policies
- Short maternity leaves and regressive policies in privatized sectors.
- Child Care Leave (CCL) challenges: Male-dominated leadership often denies requests.
- Sleep poverty for lactating mothers: Extended night time caregiving disrupts rest.
The Women Empowerment Rhetoric
- The Myth of Empowerment
- Financial independence is not liberation: Careers add to, rather than replace, domestic duties.
- Exploitation of labour: Empowerment narratives ignore systemic failure to redistribute caregiving responsibilities.
- Cultural & Familial Norms
- Unchanged gender roles: Sons are rarely taught to share household work.
- Intergenerational cycles: Daughters internalize the same burdens as their mothers.
Systemic Failures & Policy Gaps
- Government Neglect
- Lack of institutional support: Minimal investment in childcare infrastructure (e.g. crèches).
- Data gaps: Diversity in India complicates data collection, masking ground realities.
- Impact of Neoliberal Economics
- Rising inflation: Forces women into dual roles to sustain household income.
- Privatization: Erodes worker protections (e.g. shrinking maternity leave policies).
Way Forward
- Redistribute caregiving: Encourage shared responsibilities within families and workplaces.
- Policy reforms
- Expand affordable childcare infrastructure.
- Mandate equitable parental leave and enforce CCL approvals.
- Cultural shift: Challenge patriarchal norms perpetuating women’s double burden.
Conclusion: Women’s sleep deprivation in India is a systemic issue rooted in gendered labour, cultural norms, and policy neglect. True empowerment requires dismantling structural barriers, not empty rhetoric.