Women in the Goonj Processing Team—A Silent Socioeconomic Transformation in the Making

In Physics, work done is zero when the displacement of the object is zero or when the force applied is perpendicular to the displacement. Unfortunately, in the physical world that we live in, the work done by women is often considered “zero,” at least in the traditional forms of work where there are no financial incentives. Women, historically, were as busy with work as the men, however, the metrics of work were skewed such that men’s work became “work.” Interestingly, over the years, women have been able to catch up with their male counterparts in the accepted definition of productive work where he or she is paid (money).

The quantification of work in monetary aspects has gained prominence as humans evolved and work got termed productive only when it has economic value attached to it. According to Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), “Female workforce participation rate (FWPR) is an important indicator of women’s economic empowerment and is also reflective of women’s agency at home and beyond. FWPR remains low in India despite economic development, decreasing fertility rates and rising education levels of women and girls” (IWWAGE, 2023).

This paper attempts to understand the importance of women’s participation in the workforce, the barriers to work, and investigate ways to improve the situation through an assessment of the women workforce at Goonj. It further delves into the change in household dynamics especially decision-making capacity and involvement of women in socioeconomic activities. The paper touches upon the importance of the quality of work and its effect on low attrition rates at the organisation level. This is also an attempt to understand and extrapolate the impact they are able to create at the individual, familial, and societal level.