City Desk
ISLAMABAD : More than 52 million women in Pakistan undertake unpaid household chores, compared with 6.3 million men, according to the Government of Pakistan’s Labour Force Survey 2024–25, highlighting the unequal distribution of unpaid work and its implications for women’s participation in the labour market.
On the occasion, the International Labour Organization (ILO) called for greater investment in care services, decent working conditions and stronger social protection for care workers, recognising their essential contribution to families, communities and the economy.
The survey also shows that almost 60 per cent of women and girls aged 10 and above undertake cooking, cleaning, washing and related household tasks, compared with just 6.7 per cent of men and boys. Among those doing this work, women and girls spend more than twice as many hours on these activities each week as men and boys. Investing in care services and sharing responsibilities more fairly can give women greater opportunities to learn, earn and participate in economic life.
While unpaid domestic and care responsibilities fall disproportionately on women, paid care workers, including domestic workers, nurses and community health workers, often face difficult working conditions, inadequate protection and limited opportunities for professional development. Addressing these challenges is essential to improving care services, expanding women’s economic opportunities and creating decent jobs.
“We all depend on care at some point in our lives, whether at home or in a health facility. But we cannot expect quality care if the people providing it lack the training, protection and working conditions they need. In Pakistan, investing in nurses and other care workers including domestic care workers means better services for families. It also creates opportunities for decent work, particularly for women, and helps build a stronger economy,” said Geir Tonstol, ILO Country Director for Pakistan.
The ILO is working with the Government of Pakistan, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and development partners to improve working conditions, strengthen social protection and promote decent employment opportunities in the care economy.
As part of these efforts, the ILO is supporting national dialogue on the Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149), and the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), which provide international standards for protecting workers’ rights and improving employment conditions.
Through the ILO–World Health Organization (WHO)–Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working for Health Programme, the ILO has supported Pakistan in strengthening its health workforce through research, policy dialogue and efforts to improve working conditions. Building on this work, the ILO and WHO are collaborating under the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions to improve skills, professional standards and pathways to formal employment and social protection, particularly for women, nurses, allied health professionals and community-based workers.
To mark the day, the ILO is convening a global discussion on investment in sustainable care and support systems, bringing together governments, employers, workers and UN partners to explore how decent work can improve care services.
