Under-enumeration of women’s work in India refers to the systematic undercounting or misrepresentation of women’s contributions to the workforce in official data collection systems. Despite women participating actively in economic activities, official statistics often fail to capture the full extent of their labor, especially in informal, unpaid, and home-based work. This has significant implications for policy-making, labor rights, and the assessment of productivity and gender equality in the country. Several factors contribute to this under-enumeration, stemming from social norms, methodological limitations, and structural biases within data collection systems. A primary issue is the definition of “work” used in official surveys and censuses. Traditionally, Indian data collection agencies, such as the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and the Census of India, have defined work narrowly, focusing on wage employment or formal sector activities. Women’s labor, especially in household enterprises, agriculture, and care work, is frequently unpaid and therefore excluded. For instance, tasks such as cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, or tending to livestock are not recognized as economic contributions despite their critical role in sustaining households and communities. This narrow definition inherently biases statistics, resulting in low female labor force participation rates and the impression that women are less economically active than they are in reality. Methodological issues in survey design further exacerbate under-enumeration. Household surveys often rely on the head of the household, usually male, to report economic activities. In such cases, women’s work may be overlooked or undervalued. For example, women who contribute to family farming or small businesses may not be explicitly listed as workers, and their income or productivity is subsumed under the head of the household. Additionally, the recall periods used in surveys, such as daily or weekly activity reporting, may not capture intermittent or seasonal work that women engage in, particularly in rural and informal sectors. Seasonal fluctuations in agricultural or home-based production often mean that women’s labor is episodic rather than continuous, and standard survey methods may fail to record it adequately. Cultural and societal norms also play a significant role in under-enumeration. In many Indian households, the perception persists that women’s work within the home is a natural duty rather than economic activity. This normative bias influences both respondents and enumerators, who may consciously or unconsciously disregard women’s contributions. Women themselves may underreport their work, particularly if they do not receive direct wages or if their tasks are perceived as extensions of domestic responsibilities rather than formal labor. In addition, social stigma and gender roles may prevent women from participating in surveys or interacting with enumerators, especially in conservative regions where male-female interactions outside the household are restricted. The informal sector, where most women are employed, poses another challenge for