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Womens Unpaid Labour Worth 12 of GDP Policy Awaits Govt Action
ConventionalMsmGender EqualitySlfid Economic Developmentaid
Executive Summary
AI-generatedNew research indicates that women's unpaid care work contributes an estimated 12% of Sri Lanka's GDP, while including both genders raises this figure to about 14%. This invisible labor is currently excluded from official economic metrics, prompting calls for urgent policy action and national recognition.
The news highlights a social/policy issue (unpaid care work) in Sri Lanka, which, if formalized into policy, would require significant government investment and infrastructure development. This suggests potential future demand spikes or capex cycles in the construction and service sectors related to care facilities and public services within Sri Lanka.
Key Insights
- Unpaid care work by women alone accounts for approximately 12% of Sri Lanka's GDP.
- The proposed policy framework to recognize this labor has been submitted to the Ministry responsible for women’s affairs.
- Advocates argue that current economic models fail to account for the substantial value generated by unpaid household and caregiving tasks.
- Recommendations include increasing investment in childcare, elder-care facilities, and expanding paternity leave provisions.
- The issue of invisible labor has gained global attention from international development agencies.
Topic context
The full article is on the original publisher site.