Gender roles, economics, and marriage: Abhijit Banerjee’s newest e-book explores disparities that hold Indian ladies out of the workforce

Whereas younger ladies all over the world are entering into jobs, shaping their futures, and embracing independence, most in India stay tethered to the age-old choreography of getting ready for marriage. Why does a society so happy with its progress nonetheless see a lady’s prime years as a prelude to her marriage ceremony day fairly than a gateway to her profession? This stark contradiction is simply one of many many themes explored by economist and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee in his newest e-book, Chhaunk: On Meals, Economics, and Society.
In dialog at a current occasion on the Quorum in Gurgaon, Banerjee delved into the intertwined worlds of tradition, economics, and society by way of the lens of meals.
The Nobel laureate, who has beforehand authored the well-known Cooking to Save Your Life, in addition to tutorial works like Poor Economics and Good Economics for Laborious Occasions (co-written together with his spouse Esther Duflo), is thought for making advanced concepts accessible by way of his lucid writing. Like Amartya Sen, Banerjee’s status rests not solely on his experience in mathematical financial fashions but additionally on his deep engagement with growth points, philosophy, and societal constructions.
The e-book is called after the tempering of dishes with spices and condiments, or ‘Chhaunk,’ It’s a foundational course of in Indian culinary traditions, celebrated throughout regional cuisines below varied names. In Punjabi, it is named Tadka; in Hindi, Chhaunk; in Bengali, Phoron; and in Telugu, Taalimpu, amongst others.
Through the session, when requested why he selected the time period ‘Chhaunk’ as a substitute of the Bengali ‘Phoron,’ Banerjee defined that ‘Chhaunk’ feels extra onomatopoeic. The phrase immediately evokes the sound of curry leaves, entire spices, or different substances scorching as they meet scorching oil when tempering a dish.
From tutorial journals to the kitchen
What led an economist of Banerjee’s stature to write down a cookbook? He admits it was pushed by his love for meals and the surprising alternative offered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lockdowns, Banerjee discovered himself experimenting within the kitchen, turning memorable meals and intriguing recipes into tales.
In his e-book, every recipe is paired with anecdotes from Banerjee’s life and reflections on social points, from caste and migration to financial inequality, very similar to a memoir.

Revisiting the position of ladies by way of Chhaunk

Banerjee’s reflections on meals and society additionally tie again to his broader observations on gender roles in India, a theme central to Chhaunk. He cites his mom, economist Nirmala Banerjee, whose work highlights the societal pressures that hold younger Indian ladies out of the workforce and confined to home areas. Banerjee’s essays discover how these norms have an effect on not simply ladies’s lives however the financial material of the nation.
Why India’s daughters keep prepared for weddings, however keep out of labor
Banerjee’s e-book explores a variety of interconnected themes, together with economics and psychology, tradition and social coverage. In a single occasion, he references a paper by his mom, Nirmala Banerjee, which highlights a notable exception amongst younger Indian ladies in comparison with their friends in different creating nations. Not like elsewhere, the place younger ladies typically enter the workforce as they transition into maturity, gaining abilities, confidence, and independence, Indian ladies have a tendency to remain at dwelling, getting ready for marriage.
He writes: “…on the age the place younger ladies the world over are becoming a member of the workforce—studying the work routines and the self-discipline, gaining the arrogance to talk up for themselves, but additionally embracing the pleasures… Indian ladies are largely at dwelling, getting ready to get married.”
Notably, this aligns with India’s troubling labor statistics: In 2022, the nation recorded one of many world’s lowest feminine labor pressure participation charges (LFPR), rating beneath Saudi Arabia.

Labor Power Participation Charge, Feminine (2022)

Supply: Labor pressure participation fee, feminine (% of feminine inhabitants ages 15 plus; modeled ILO estimate, 2022)
Why does India rank low? The underlying cause, the e-book highlights, is the societal expectation for ladies to restrict their sexuality inside a socially sanctioned, ideally monogamous, marriage. This creates a robust strain on mother and father, who fear that their daughters may jeopardise these norms in the event that they work exterior the house, spend nights away, or meet somebody deemed unsuitable for marriage. Consequently, households really feel a compelling incentive to marry off their daughters early, minimising the perceived danger of deviation from these expectations.
Fundamental earnings assure: A security internet or a double-edged sword?
In one other chapter of his e-book, Banerjee delves into the idea of earnings ensures, specializing in the concept of a Common Fundamental Revenue (UBI). UBI is a coverage proposal the place each particular person, no matter employment standing or earnings stage, receives an everyday, unconditional money fee from the federal government. Proponents argue that it simplifies welfare methods, reduces poverty, and supplies a security internet in an more and more unpredictable financial panorama.
Banerjee explains, “By making it (earnings) common and unconditional… we take away the motivation for individuals to magnify their poverty, say, by working much less.” The objective is to bypass the complexities and inefficiencies of focused welfare packages, the place recipients typically have to show their eligibility.
He additional elaborates on the challenges of focused support in creating nations. Proof means that issues about “strategic laziness”—the concern that free cash disincentivizes work—are largely unfounded. Nevertheless, individuals typically conceal their true earnings, for instance, by choosing money funds to keep away from scrutiny. This complicates focused authorities packages aimed toward serving to the poor, as these methods often leak funds to the non-poor. Satirically, the extra checks and forms supposed to stop such leaks find yourself excluding a considerable portion of those that genuinely want help.
Banerjee contrasts this with common, unconditional packages like UBI, which get rid of the errors of exclusion by offering advantages to everybody. Nevertheless, this method has its drawbacks. By distributing sources to many who don’t require them, it dilutes the quantity obtainable to those that really want monetary help, doubtlessly lowering the general influence on poverty alleviation.