Bangladesh’s economic progress is facing a setback due to a significant imbalance in time allocation, particularly affecting women who contribute substantially more hours than men to unpaid care and domestic responsibilities, according to experts and policymakers at a recent seminar.
The seminar, titled “Time for Change: Engaging Youth to Transform Unpaid Care Norms,” organized by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) at Dhaka University, highlighted the findings of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Time Use Survey 2022. Despite the substantial time investment by women in these unpaid tasks, their efforts often go unrecognized, leading to limited participation in the formal workforce.
Shaheen Anam, the Executive Director of MJF, emphasized the need for a shift in the distribution of responsibilities, stating that women’s ambitions are often hindered by the overwhelming burden of unpaid work.
Asma Akhter, Deputy Director and Focal Point at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), defined time poverty as a barrier to education, income generation, and civic engagement. Towfiqul Islam Khan, from the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), highlighted the stark difference in female labor participation rates between Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, with women dedicating significantly more time to household chores than men.
Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha, the pro-vice chancellor (administration) of Dhaka University, underscored how unpaid care obligations impede women’s professional advancement and health, pointing out the low representation of women in high-level decision-making positions.
Economist Dr. Selim Jahan, from the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), urged the youth to challenge traditional gender roles, encouraging men to take on more household responsibilities and women to allow space for men to learn these tasks.
Rehana Khan, Senior Programme Officer at the Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, and Kazi Rabeya Ame, a gender and climate change program analyst, highlighted the additional challenges faced by women due to climate change, rural infrastructure deficiencies, and the lack of state-provided care services.
Rabia noted a significant disparity in time poverty, with 54% of women affected compared to only 7% of men. The seminar featured interactive discussions, storytelling, performances, and art exhibitions aimed at promoting caregiving as a collective societal obligation.
Participants called for the formal recognition of unpaid care in national statistics, equal sharing of household responsibilities, and investments in care infrastructure to alleviate the burden on rural women. The event brought together gender researchers, youth activists, and journalists who emphasized the importance of transforming unpaid care norms to advance the UNDP’s human development objectives.
