State Minister for Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan on Sunday announced that the government was actively working to recognise and quantify the economic value of unpaid household work performed by women.

At a seminar titled ‘Recognition of Unpaid Care Work: A Step towards Financial and Social Empowerment of Women,’ held at BRAC Centre Inn and organized by the Manusher Jonno Foundation, Waseqa highlighted the critical economic contributions of women’s domestic labor.

‘It is essential to acknowledge the significant role women play in our economy through their unpaid household work. The government is making strides to determine and value these contributions,’ she said.

Following directives from the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has published the ‘Time Use Survey 2021,’ which detailed how individuals allocate their time, including unpaid domestic tasks.

Additionally, the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies is conducting further research to evaluate the economic worth of women’s household work.

The seminar underscored the importance of unpaid care work in achieving financial and social empowerment for women, with Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, presiding over the event.