At dawn in Kallyanpur, Sunjida, a housewife and mother of a two-year-old daughter, wakes up to her baby’s cries. Despite completing her master’s degree, her days are now defined by an endless routine of unpaid labour.
She begins by preparing breakfast and serving it to her husband, often making sure his clothes are ready, his watch or office bag is within reach, and even packing his lunch so that he can leave for work without worry. Then she cleans the kitchen, assists her mother-in-law, and washes clothes all before noon.
By evening, she tutors her daughter, makes dinner, and cleans. When the house finally falls silent, she’s completed a full, invisible shift dismissed as duty, not work. The next morning the cycle begins again.
Her story is not unique. Millions of women across Bangladesh carry similar burdens, sustaining families and even the wider economy, yet their labour remains unrecognised as “real work.”
Professor Tania Haque of Dhaka University’s Department of Women and Gender Studies explained, “We do not consider household work as work. As a result, women remain time-poor, fall behind in the job market, and believe these chores are their duty, taught through generations.”
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics estimated that if included in economy, such unpaid household and care work would cover 18.9% of the GDP with women contributing Tk3.4 lakh crore. Yet, recognition still lags.
The BBS report called for integrating unpaid work into planning, funding childcare and eldercare, reforming workplaces, and encouraging men to share domestic duties. Recognition, redistribution, and state support are vital to making invisible labour respected work that empowers women.
Professor Haque emphasised, “Our domestic work also has a value. If there are recognition and redistribution, men will begin to look at women differently. Proper valuation of household work and investment in care can double society’s productivity and reduce violence.
For urban working women, the struggle intensifies as a full day at the office is followed by another demanding shift at home. Juthi, a private office worker in Dhanmondi, said, “After managing outside work, coming home and having to do everything alone is extremely frustrating. I struggle to manage my time, and the stress from home affects my work. Balancing office work and household work together is extremely difficult.”
In rural areas, the burden is often heavier. Women cook, clean, fetch water, collect firewood, and work in fields yet are called “housewives,” not workers. The toll is both economic and personal: fatigue, pain, stress, and little time for rest or ambition. Many girls are pulled from school to help at home, continuing the cycle.
Inequality inside the home remains a major barrier to women’s empowerment. Few men share the load, fearing social ridicule. As one young father admits, “Even if I help, people laugh at me.” This invisibility has been normalised for generations.
Maleka Banu, general secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said, “Our mothers, sisters, and daughters do enormous work at home, but it is never valued. If a woman does not earn money, she is assumed to ‘do nothing,’ yet hiring someone to do her work has a clear market price. Unpaid work creates a heavy burden. This must be shared and redistributed, or women cannot move forward.”
The BBS/UN Women time-use survey is a first step in revealing hidden labour. Banasree Mitra of Manusher Jonno Foundation said, “The report shows women’s unpaid work but isn’t yet part of GDP. We’re urging economists to create a satellite account.” She stressed, “Household work isn’t only for women. Men must share responsibility, and the state must support childcare and caregiving so women can fully participate. Without recognition, reduction, and redistribution, women cannot advance or grow.”
For women like Sunjida and many other housewives, change feels distant. After long days of unpaid labour, her body aches with no salary or recognition. Yet her work sustains her family and the nation’s economy. With recognition, redistribution, and support, this invisible labour can gain the respect it deserves and pave the way for a more equal future.
