DHAKA, Feb 20, 2020 (BSS) – Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today underscored the need for recognizing the unaccounted work of women in the country’s GDP, saying recognition of their work would enhance their dignity in society.
“There are many things which are not measured in terms of money … We’ll have to find out ways to recognize the unaccounted work of the womenfolk,” he said.
The finance minister was addressing a dialogue titled “Recognition of women’s unaccounted work in national GDP and its inclusion in gender responsive budgeting” organized by Manusher Jonno Foundation at the BRAC Centre Inn in the capital.
Chaired by Manusher Jonno Foundation executive director Shaheen Anam, Prof Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha of Economics Department of Dhaka University made the key-note presentation at the dialogue while former director of UNDP’s human development office Dr Selim Jahan and Jahangirnagar University Economics Department Prof Dr Sharmin Nilormi spoke as discussants.
Kamal said currently in the system of national accounts (SNA), there is no provision for estimating the unaccounted work of women as it could not be measured in terms of money. “For this, there is a need to bring some changes in the system,” he added.
Noting that the services sector of the country is expanding fast, he said the womenfolk of the country should be brought forward further so that they could get more scopes for work in society.
He also hinted that a paragraph might be included in his budget speech for the next fiscal year about the unaccounted work of womenfolk.
BRAC Chairperson Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said women’s empowerment should have to be a seamless agenda and it should be viewed beyond SDGs, and budget.
“The issue of women’s recognition is a deeper problem within the society and there is a need for formal recognition in this regard,” he added.
Dr Selim Jahan said the issue of recognizing women’s unaccounted work in GDP has been raised since it is important for ensuring social equality, rights and dignity of women.
He also noted that if the unaccounted work of women is estimated into GDP, then there will be a change in the national income.
Dr Bidisha, in her presentation, said satellite account can capture the unaccounted works of women and allow going beyond the strictly limited boundaries of SNA.
She showed that there was unpaid domestic work of some 39.52 percent women in the country in the fiscal year 2016-17 which was 9.02 percent for the male.
Dr Bidisha suggested having a regular and comprehensive data base with time diary where the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) could play the leading role.