India, June 15 -- Last week, the homemaker's labour got a price tag. While recognising them as "nation builders," the Supreme Court fixed a notional price of ?30,000 a month in a compensation case. The judgment was remarkable not because of the number, but because it forced India to confront a question it has avoided for decades: Why do we recognise the value of a woman's work only after she is gone?

The question becomes even more relevant when read alongside the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6). Taken together, the judgment and the survey tell a story that is both encouraging and unsettling. The NFHS-6 paints a picture of an Indian woman who is more educated, more connected and more empowered than previous generat...