‘Bring care service into formal labour market’

At a webinar on Saturday, speakers said that the unpaid care service should be brought into the mainstream labour market by providing related education and training.

South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) jointly organised the webinar titled ‘Integration of Care Economy in Policy Formulation’.

They said gender budget could serve as a crucial policy tool for integrating care work into the policy agenda. Investment in infrastructure can ease women’s responsibility related to domestic and care work, encouraging them to be involved in other productive work.

Planning Minister MA Mannan, the programme’s chief guest, said that recognition of unpaid care services was important and the government was trying to take steps strategically to address the issues.

He said the government has already taken steps to increase women’s participation in mainstream work. Such initiatives include reserving three female members at union level or a woman vice-chairman at upazila level and 60 per cent employment at primary schools.

MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said that if the burden of care service on women could be reduced, their participation in paid and formal work would increase.

“Recognition of unpaid care work will ensure equality for women through dignity,” she said.

Sayema Haque Bidisha, in her presentation, said women spend a large portion of their time in unpaid care work. The unaccounted work should be recognised and given the dignity to reduce domestic violence, ensure women’s participation in formal employment, and implement SDG goals.

She emphasised recognising the value, reducing responsibilities and redistributing the work.

Women who do not participate in the formal labour market spend six hours on average in household activities. In contrast, women in the formal labour market spend an average three hours daily. While Bangladesh is passing through the demographic dividend window, having half of the population working in unpaid care work for longer hours is a barrier to their economic opportunities, she said.

“If it is evaluated, women’s contribution in unpaid care work equals around 40 per cent of the GDP,” she said.