ISLAMABAD: The Int­e­r­national Labour Org­a­n­isation (ILO) has said that 117.4 million women and men in Pakistan are engaged in unpaid care and domestic work, inc­luding 66.7m women.

Marking the Int­er­national Day of Care and Support, the ILO stressed that Pakistan needs coordinated efforts and greater investment to strengthen and transform its care economy. Such efforts, it said, are essential for sustainable progress in the sector.

According to the ILO, this transformation req­uires setting minimum education and training standards, ensuring access to lifelong learning, creating career pathways for new entrants while retaining experienced workers, guaranteeing fair wages, promoting safe and healthy working environments, providing adequate rest periods, and extending comprehensive social protection — including maternity benefits and safeguards against excessive or non-standard work arrangements.

Women remain overrepresented in nearly all unpaid domestic and care roles, including cooking, cleaning, livestock tending, and childcare. Around 60pc of women spend more than 15 hours a week on domestic work, compared with less than 7pc of men. Women also devote more time to caring for children, the elderly, and the sick.

Calls for greater investment, fair wages to boost care economy

This imbalance, according to the ILO report, contributes to time and opportunity poverty among women, creating barriers to their participation and advancement in Pakistan’s paid care sector. It also confines them to lower-status roles and reinforces the gender pay gap.

Globally, women make up about two-thirds of the health workforce but earn, on average, 20pc less than men and remain underrepresented in leadership positions.

ILO Country Director for Pakistan Geir Tonstol said that as a pathfinder country for the Global Acc­elerator for Jobs and Social Protection, Pakistan has the opportunity to draw on global partnerships and experiences to scale up domestic investments. “This can create a virtuous cycle where decent jobs and stronger social protection foster more resilient economies and more just societies,” he added.

He said the ILO aims to transform care work into decent work, ensuring dignity, fair wages, and social protection for care workers. Through the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health (W4H) initiative, the organisation is supporting Pakistan’s efforts to integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) into healthcare regulations, improve working conditions, and strengthen workforce capacity.

The ILO emphasised that investing strategically in Pakistan’s care economy is vital for growth, equity, and gender equality — beginning with investment in those who provide care. Under the National Health Vision for Pakistan, the government has pledged to raise health sector allocations to at least three per cent of GDP within the next decade. This investment is expected to create safer workplaces, enhance training, and help retain qualified healthcare professionals.

The ILO, together with the Ministry of National Health Services, Reg­ulations and Coordination, is also working to develop a national OSH policy for the health sector to enhance worker safety and advance progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

The ILO’s Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) project — supported by the government of Japan — has strengthened representation and advocacy for domestic workers in Punjab. In 2025, the United Domestic Workers Federation was registered, representing domestic workers across the province.

“The PRS project has given voice and visibility to domestic workers in Punjab,” said Arooma Shahzad, the federation’s general secretary. “The registration of the Domestic Workers Em­p­loyers Association and the development of a Code of Conduct for employers are concrete steps that show the commitment of employers to open dialogue on this critical issue.”

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2025