The International Labour Organization (ILO) has emphasized that investing in Pakistan’s care economy is vital for promoting growth, equity, and gender equality. Marking the International Day of Care and Support, the ILO called for greater recognition of care work and stronger coordinated actions to ensure decent work, fair wages, and social protection for care workers. In Pakistan, 117.4 million people are engaged in unpaid domestic and care work, with women accounting for 66.7 million of them. The organization underscored the need to transform the sector by investing in education, skills development, and worker protection.
Women remain overrepresented in unpaid domestic and care roles such as cooking, cleaning, livestock management, and caring for dependents. Nearly 60 percent of women spend over 15 hours a week on domestic work, compared to less than 7 percent of men. This imbalance has led to time and opportunity poverty for women, limiting their entry into the paid care workforce and reinforcing gender pay gaps. Globally, women make up two-thirds of the health workforce but earn 20 percent less than men and are underrepresented in leadership positions.
Under its Decent Work Country Programme (2023–27), the ILO identifies domestic, home-based, sanitation, and community health workers as key groups requiring enhanced rights and social protection. ILO Pakistan Country Director Geir Tonstol highlighted the organization’s aim to transform care work into decent work by providing fair wages, dignity, and comprehensive social protection. As a pathfinder country for the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection, Pakistan can use global partnerships to boost domestic investment and build a more resilient and just economy.
Through initiatives like the ILO–OECD–WHO Working for Health (W4H), Pakistan is being supported in integrating occupational safety and health standards into healthcare regulations and workforce development. The government’s National Health Vision commits to increasing health sector spending to at least 3% of GDP, strengthening training, retention, and workplace safety. The ILO, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, is also developing a national occupational safety and health policy for healthcare workers.
The ILO’s Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) Project, backed by Japan, has enhanced representation for domestic workers in Punjab. The establishment of the United Domestic Workers Federation in 2025 marked a major step in organizing and protecting domestic workers’ rights. According to Arooma Shahzad, General Secretary of the Federation, the project has facilitated dialogue between employers and workers through initiatives like a Code of Conduct for employers.
To sustain progress, Pakistan needs a coordinated approach and increased investment to professionalize the care economy. This includes improving training, creating fair career pathways, ensuring decent wages, safe working conditions, adequate rest, and full social protection, including maternity benefits. The ILO’s 5R Framework—Reduce, Recognize, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent—offers a roadmap for addressing unpaid care work and advancing the rights of care workers, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.
