By Mobeen Arshad,

In most households across Pakistan, a particular rhythm begins with the first light of day. A woman wakes up often before everyone else and the work begins: preparing breakfast, organizing school bags, sweeping floors, folding clothes, managing emotions, and then repeating it all with dinner. This rhythm rarely breaks, and even more rarely is it paused.

What’s most striking is that none of it is formally recognized as “work.”

Across South Asia, millions of women dedicate their lives to maintaining households, raising children, and enabling others to succeed often without breaks, weekends, or appreciation. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2023) reports that women perform over 90% of unpaid care work in the nation, but this effort is overlooked in economic assessments and public discourse.

While it is often framed as a noble choice and indeed, caregiving is one of the most altruistic roles, it is rarely understood as an emotional and psychological burden. For women confined to the same space day and night, lacking intellectual engagement, social mobility, or........

© Daily Times