Women's unpaid care work sustains economies

Article Type

Article

Description

A webinar titled "Unpaid Care Work Among Women in South Asia," organised by the Population Research Centre at IBA Karachi, brought together academics to examine the scale, nature, and policy implications of unpaid care work (UCW) in the region. Speakers including Dr Lalarukh Ejaz, Dr Saumya Tripathi, and Dr Sameena Azhar highlighted that despite women in South Asia shouldering the vast majority of domestic and community care responsibilities — including childcare, eldercare, and voluntary services — such work remains invisible in economic indicators and policymaking. The discussion drew attention to how household composition, income level, and entrenched gender norms intensify women's care burdens, with approximately 60 percent of women spending over 15 hours per week on domestic tasks compared to less than 7 hours for men. In the Pakistani context, around 117.4 million people are engaged in unpaid care and domestic work, of whom 66.7 million are women, while female labour force participation stands at just 24 percent — among the lowest in the world. The speakers concluded that recognising and redistributing unpaid care work is essential for achieving gender equality and improving economic outcomes across South Asia.

Publication Source

Dawn

Publication Date

4-3-2026

Pages

14

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