Unpaid labor, as defined by Pulignano et al. (2023), is the cost that working people bear individually at the intersection of the social and economic spheres. It is the invisible work that people do outside of their paid jobs, such as caring for children or elderly relatives, cooking, and cleaning. This work, which is often unpaid and undervalued, despite being essential for the smooth functioning of society, disproportionately falls on the shoulders of women.
Yahaya (2023) affirms that the current economic system relies on women’s unpaid care work, which is often ignored or unaccounted for by mainstream economics. This devaluation of care work posed the assumption that women’s economic empowerment only refers to their ability to participate in the market economy. This is a patriarchal definition of economic output that possesses harmful consequences for gender equality.
A 2019 study by the Khazanah Research Institute elaborates that women in Malaysia spend an average of 3.6 hours per day on unpaid care work, while men spend only 2.2 hours per day. This means that women spend an average of 1.4 hours per day more on unpaid care work than men. Additionally, women spend 6.6 hours per day on paid employment, which is just 0.3 hours less than the time allocated by men (6.9 hours). The findings emphasized the “double burden” or “second shift” phenomenon whereby women are engaging in paid work at an equal rate with men but also bear the extra burden of unpaid care work. A sample study of 125 individuals in Kuala Lumpur by the research institute, evidentiated that women are, on average, putting in 1.4 hours more of unpaid homemaking work per day compared to men.
Unpaid care work can have a devastating impact on women’s career progression. Women who spend more time on unpaid care work are less likely to be in paid employment, and more likely to be in part-time or informal employment. This is because part-time and informal employment are often more flexible, which can make it easier for women to balance their work and care responsibilities. However, part-time and informal employment are also typically lower-paid and have fewer benefits, which can have a negative impact on women’s long-term career prospects. Women who spend more time on unpaid care work are also less likely to be promoted and earn lower salaries than men. This is because women who spend a lot of time on unpaid care work may have less time or energy to devote to their careers, and they may also be seen as less committed to their jobs.
Rosser and Murphy (2023) expounds that Southeast Asia’s social protection systems are weak because of political factors. They observed that in the mid-1980s, democratization, the emergence of political entrepreneurs, and economic and social crises have all contributed to the urgency for more comprehensive social welfare programmes. However, these developments failed to produce significant change but culminated in a layering effect, where new policies were added to existing ones without reconceptualizing them. As such, private sector employers are in the best position to address the issue of unpaid carework which has been proved to increase revenue and productivity. The Khanazah Research Institute report suggests several incentives or measures that can be taken:
- Partner with other NGOs to establish care centers as part of mutual corporate social responsibility initiatives.
- Provide training and development modules for care providers and using a star rating system.
- Improved paid maternity and paternity leave and benefits.
LeadWomen’s Inclusive Playbook programme
LeadWomen’s new Inclusive Playbook programme is a valuable resource for companies that are committed to finding a solution to the issue of care work in their organisation. 📥 Anchored on the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the programme will help participating companies unpack the concepts of unconscious bias, gender stereotypes, and creating a more supportive work environment for women. For more information on the program, please visit our website https://www.lead-women.com/inclusive-playbook or contact our programme facilitator, Shi Shuen Lok at shuen@lead-women.com
Citations
1️⃣ Choong, C., Mohamed Firouz, A. M., Jasmin, A. F., Muhamad Noor, N., & Gong, R. (2019). Time to Care: Gender Inequality, Unpaid Care Work, and Time Use Survey. https://www.krinstitute.org/assets/contentMS/img/template/editor/Publications_Time%20to%20Care_Full%20report.pdf
2️⃣ Johnston, M., Davies, S. E., True, J., Riveros-Morales, Y. (2021). “Patriarchal reset” in the Asia Pacific during COVID-19: The impacts on women’s security and rights. The Pacific Review, 36(3), 603–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2021.2005123
3️⃣ Burden in four charts: United Nations Development Programme. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/malaysia/blog/care-work-time-covid-19-womens-unpaid-care-burden-four-charts
4️⃣ Pulignano, V., Marà, C., Franke, M., & Muszynski, K. (2023). Informal employment on Domestic Care Platforms: A study on the individualisation of risk and unpaid labour in mature market contexts. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 102425892311773. https://doi.org/10.1177/10242589231177353
5️⃣ Rosser, A., & Murphy, J. (2023). Contesting Social Welfare in Southeast Asia. Cambridge Elements. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108886642 Yahaya, D. (2023). CEDAW Shadow
6️⃣ Report guideline on Gender Equality and macroeconomics (GEM). IWRAW Asia Pacific. https://www.iwraw-ap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CEDAW-Shadow-Report_GEM.pdf
7️⃣ Schmillen, A., & Tan, M. L. (2019, October 28). Breaking barriers: Toward better economic opportunities for women in Malaysia. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/breaking-barriers-toward-better-economic-opportunities-women-malaysia