Allocate funds for women-friendly infrastructure: MJF
Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) yesterday called for more allocation in the upcoming budget for women-friendly infrastructure.
The organisation also hoped that the issues of social safety of women and sharing of household chores will get prominence in this budget.
MJF said in a press statement, women have to bear the burden of additional household work during the pandemic as many families are staying home at all times. Violence against women also increased during this time, it said.
A working woman has to put an extra three hours behind household chores while their male counterparts spend less than one-and-a-half hours behind housework. On the other hand, women who don't work outside spend over six hours doing household chores.
The organisation said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, at a policy dialogue organised by MJF this year, assured that he would raise the issue of giving recognition of women's household work through satellite accounts for this year's budget.
MJF thinks women's unrecognised work in the household and peripheral areas should be accounted for in the budget.
Many countries evaluate woman's work at home using satellite accounting system and include those in GDP, it said. If their work can be counted, 48.54 percent GDP, comprising only nine percent contribution from men, while women's contribution would be 39.52 percent, it added.
The organisation said men dominate the wage-based work while women deliver service-work all around the world. The unrecognised work of women have social, economic and political importance, so these should be incorporated into the national income.
MJF strongly demanded that the authorities bring necessary changes to recognise this contribution of women.
MJF is one of the largest national grant-making organisations in Bangladesh, disbursing funds and capacity building support for human rights and governance work within the country, according to its website.
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