Beyond the tricky, technical dimensions of statistical reportage, the study finds that women make career choices bearing the consistent load of household work. Within the group of respondents who withdrew from employment, excessive household workload was cited as the dominant reason. The amount and nature of household work is related to marital status. Thus, 43 per cent of the single women in the city are working compared to 19 per cent of married women who are reported as workers.

A long and heavy workload resulting from combining paid work and household care work like cooking, caring for the elderly and childcare was cited by most working and non-working women as the major reason to avoid entry into employment. Data on the daily routines of women surveyed suggests a normal working day of 11-15 hours for women in the workforce, where they are unable to considerably renegotiate the amount of time required for household tasks.

Working women rely on support from their spouses and other family members. Those from middle class and richer households hire nannies, full time maids or part time domestic help. Thus, the decision to work is primarily related to the informal arrangements available to assist female domestic workload associated with marriage and family. Fears regarding safety and mobility were the second most prominent problem associated with joining the workforce. Family structures, public space and the job market penalize women for prioritizing caring for their families while making public and market spaces more easily available to men.

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