In Bangladesh, where women shoulder most household responsibilities, the International Day of Care and Support observed today should remind us that caring for others is a shared social responsibility, not an obligation that falls disproportionately on women.
Care work is among the most essential contributions to society, yet it remains among the least recognized.
Bangladesh’s first Time-Use Survey, conducted in 2021 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), revealed that women spend roughly seven times as much time on unpaid domestic and care work as men.
Cooking, cleaning, raising children, and caring for sick or elderly family members sustain households and enable others to pursue education and employment.
Yet this labour unfortunately remains largely invisible in economic calculations, and is often dismissed as an ordinary part of being a woman.
The consequences are significant: Women who devote hours to unpaid work have less time to pursue paid employment, develop professional skills, or participate in public life. Those who work outside the home often face a second shift of domestic responsibilities, with little support or recognition.
Meanwhile, domestic workers and other care professionals frequently face low wages, insecure employment, and inadequate protection.
Encouragingly, Bangladesh has taken an important step towards recognizing this contribution through a commitment in the FY2025-26 national budget to include the economic value of women's unpaid labour in GDP calculations.
However, this recognition must lead to meaningful change. Affordable childcare, accessible support for elderly and disabled people, stronger protections for domestic workers, and policies encouraging men to share household responsibilities are essential.
The government, employers, and communities must work together to build a care system that supports both caregivers and those who need care. Families, too, must challenge the assumption that care is naturally women's work.
Care is indispensable to our economy and society, and we would do well to understand that properly valuing it -- as well as the people providing it -- is a matter of fairness, dignity, and sustainable development.