Why recognising unpaid care work of women is important

June 5, 2024

DHAKA – On April 23, 2023, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in an Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting, instructed the Planning Commission to find a way to include the work that women perform within the household, commonly referred to as “unpaid care work,” into the calculation of the GDP. This instruction speaks of her commitment towards gender equality and appreciation towards the contribution of women for their labour, irrespective of whether they get paid or not.

What is unpaid care work? It is the work that women perform at home, behind closed doors, which remains mostly unseen and invisible. Their work is considered household work, something that women are “supposed to be doing.” However, this work is productive as well as reproductive, and critical to the wellbeing of the family and society. Apart from taking care of children and the elderly, cooking, cleaning, washing, and fetching water, women are involved in economically productive activities such as looking after poultry, livestock, preservation of seeds, and other agricultural work.

The primary reason to recognise this work comes from the concept of “dignity of labour,” and for families to realise the importance of this work and accord it the respect that it deserves. Women, by and large, are responsible for the health, hygiene, food security and over all wellbeing of the family. Making their work visible and giving it formal recognition will raise their status as families will become aware of their contribution, and there is hope that it will result in reduction of discrimination, domestic violence, and early marriage. There is a possibility that formal recognition will have an impact in elevating women’s position