Some 85 per cent of the unpaid household 'care work' done by women in Bangladesh hardly get recognition from the society, says a study.
Besides, the women are unaware of the contribution they make to their respective families and the national economy, according to the study carried out by ActionAid Bangladesh in collaboration with BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and European Commission.
The research styled 'Pattern of Time Use on Adult Women and Men in Rural North Bangladesh' was shared at a national seminar in the capital Tuesday.
ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir moderated the programme while research team leader Simeen Mahmud presented a brief summary of the study.
Department of Women Affairs Director General Shahin Ahmed Chowdhury, United Nations (UN) Women Country Representative Christine Hunter, Former Director of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Shamsul Alam, Senior Researcher and BIDS fellow Protima Paul Majumdar, among others, spoke at the function.
The study report finds that men spend only one hour for unpaid care work and roughly eight hours in productive work while women spend almost six hours for such work and five hours in productive work.
It says a positive change of attitudes towards women was observed in both Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat where the research study was conducted.
"But most men from Gaibandha still believe that men's work is more important than women's and they can beat their wives if they are displeased."
However, the research team leader said the study findings might not reflect the whole nation as it varies from place to place.
Unpaid care work is work mainly done by women that includes caring for household members, household chores, child care and care of ill and elderly persons in the family.
The study recommends that the government take necessary measures to recognise unpaid work, reduction of their responsibilities and redistribution of household chores.
Speakers at the programme said it is the government's main responsibility to take some immediate steps, particularly for the poor and underprivileged households to overcome the crisis.
They also stressed the need for formulating state policies and making a social and collective responsibility, in particular through improving women's access to public services, care services and infrastructure.
UN Women Representative Ms Hunter expressed the hope that the government would come forward to recognise, reduce and redistribute the unequal burden of women's unpaid care work by changing relevant policies and interventions.
She also called upon the people to play their individual level role in getting the expected change in the society. "We need starting change of individual mindset to bring a social change," Ms Hunter noted.
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