Policy advisor Sharmin S. Murshid highlighted the urgent need to value women’s unpaid labor, stressing that women spend 7.3 times more hours on unpaid work than men, according to BBS data (2021).

“Women are desperate for equality, yet their contributions remain invisible,” she said. Murshid called for:

An inter-ministerial coordination framework to formally recognize unpaid work

Gender-sensitive planning in fiscal, labor, and social protection policies

Encouraging private sector involvement in dignified caregiving jobs and gender-friendly workplaces

Alignment with international labor standards in care-related regulations