In most economic equations, women’s unpaid work simply does not count. But data from the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 changes the narrative.
Bangladesh has emerged as the top-performing South Asian nation in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025, securing the 24th position globally with a gender parity score of 77.5%. This marks the ninth consecutive year Bangladesh has led the region, ahead of countries like India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The country has made notable progress compared to its 99th position in 2024, a jump driven mainly by policy changes that support women’s empowerment. Bangladesh now stands out as one of the economies that has narrowed gender gaps, alongside countries such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Ethiopia, regardless of income levels.
Valuing the invisible: A policy shift with impact
One of the most significant developments contributing to this progress is the Bangladeshi government’s decision to include women’s unpaid care and domestic work in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the 2025–26 fiscal year. This policy marks a milestone in acknowledging the economic value of work that often goes unnoticed.
While presenting the national budget, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed recognised the role of homemakers and said, “Alongside working women, many women dedicate their time and labour as homemakers. However, their significant role is often not properly acknowledged. On behalf of the government and the people, I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to them.“
He also assured that the government would introduce the necessary policies and steps to include these contributions in the national records. This announcement was welcomed by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), which has campaigned for 15 years to gain institutional recognition for women’s unpaid care work. MJF called the policy a “historic step”.
Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of MJF, added, “Recognising women’s household and care work in the national budget is crucial for achieving inclusive economic growth and gender equality in Bangladesh. Traditional economic indicators have long rendered women’s significant contributions through unpaid domestic labour virtually invisible. We thank the Honourable Finance Adviser for committing to institutional recognition of women’s unacknowledged work.“
The scale of unpaid work in Bangladesh
Globally, unpaid care work remains one of the largest yet invisible contributions to economies. The International Labour Organisation (2018) estimated that 16.4 billion hours of unpaid care work are performed every day worldwide. It is equivalent to 2 billion full-time jobs or nearly 9% of global GDP.
A 2024 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) revealed the scale of this unpaid labour in Bangladesh. In 2021, women’s unpaid household and caregiving work was valued at Tk 5.3 trillion, about 14.8% of Bangladesh’s GDP. In contrast, men’s unpaid work contributed only 2.8%.
Women spent 4.6 hours per day on housework, compared to 0.6 hours by men. On caregiving, women contributed 1.2 hours per day, while men averaged only 0.2 hours. Overall, 24.5% of women’s time was spent on unpaid work, compared to just 3.3% of men’s time. Meanwhile, men spent an average of 6.1 hours a day on paid or self-employed activities, whereas women averaged just 1.2 hours.
The study calculated the value of this work using unskilled wage rates, Tk 37.5 per hour in rural areas and Tk 43.5 in urban areas. However, these rates fail to reflect the emotional and skilled aspects of care work. When those are factored in, the estimated value of women’s unpaid work rises to 18.5–19.6% of GDP.
A global need to value unpaid domestic work
The United Nations, through Sustainable Development Goal 5, Target 5.4, calls for countries to value unpaid care and domestic work and promote shared responsibility within households by 2030. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) estimated that unpaid care work contributes around 9% of member economies’ GDP, with a combined value of 11 trillion US dollars.
Economist Indira Hirway has studied cross-country estimates and found that unpaid work accounts for a wide range of GDP shares. In Australia, the figure reaches 41.3%, while in Thailand it stands at 5.5%. Other examples also show considerable economic value. In 2019, unpaid work in Canada contributed between 25.2 and 37.2% of GDP. In South Africa, estimates from 2010 placed the contribution between 14.6 and 38.1%.
These numbers show that unpaid work holds significant economic value across a wide variety of countries and income levels. However, only a few governments have taken the step to include it in national GDP calculations formally.
India’s unpaid economy: The gaps and possibilities
India also faces a growing need to address the economic value of unpaid care and domestic work. While these jobs remain essential to families and communities, the country still excludes them from GDP and national economic records.
Current estimates place the value of unpaid work in India at ₹22.7 lakh crore, which is roughly 7.5% of the nation’s GDP. Women contribute most of this labour, spending an average of 36 hours a week on unpaid responsibilities. In comparison, men spend only about 16 hours.
India’s low women workforce participation directly links to the time women spend on unpaid tasks. Experts have pointed out that if India increases women’s participation in the labour market by reducing and redistributing unpaid care responsibilities, the country’s GDP could grow by as much as 27%.
By recognising this work and investing in support systems, such as childcare services, flexible job hours, and social protections, India can begin to close the gender gap in both income levels and other economic opportunities.
Unpaid, unseen, but not anymore: Why we must count women’s labour
Bangladesh’s decision to count unpaid care and domestic work as part of its GDP shows how formal recognition can improve the way a country values women’s time and effort. For decades, the time and effort women put into caring for families, managing households, and supporting communities have stayed outside official records. This has created an incomplete picture of economic activity and hidden the true scale of women’s contribution to society.
Recognising unpaid care work is important, but it must lead to tangible benefits for women. That means the change should reach homes, workplaces, and communities. For this to happen, the responsibility of care work must not remain on women alone. National policies must also focus on changing social attitudes, especially among men.
When men take on a fair share of household and caregiving duties, women have more time and freedom to pursue paid work, education, or rest. This kind of shift doesn’t happen through policy alone. It requires awareness campaigns, education, and a strong cultural push to create shared responsibility at home.
At Changeincontent, we believe that recognising unpaid labour is not just about economics. Instead, it is about justice, equity, and the future of work. If we want women’s economic participation to grow, we must start where their day begins: at home.
Read our analysis: Household CEO, Office Employee: The double shift and invisible labour that no one acknowledges.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history, encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
