15/02/2026

ON SUNDAY February 15, 2026 theSunday Special VIII

W HEN the Covid-19 pandemic swept across Malaysia, many women found themselves work ing longer hours – not in Ṙ FHV RU IDFWRULHV EXW DW KRPH %HWZHHQ juggling remote work, childcare, house chores and elder care, their daily routines EHFDPH D EOXU RI XQSDLG ODERXU

The hidden economy: Women’s unpaid labour keeps society running

The gendered division of labour In Malaysia, as in most societies, domestic ODERXU ± IURP FRRNLQJ WR FDULQJ ± KDV ORQJ EHHQ DVVLJQHG WR ZRPHQ (FRQRPLVWV FDOO WKLV UHSURGXFWLYH ODERXU PHDQLQJ WKH kind of work that sustains life and keeps VRFLHW\ IXQFWLRQLQJ “This is the kind of work which con WULEXWHV WR UHSURGXFLQJ WKH FRQGLWLRQV IRU FDSLWDOLVP ,W¶V ZKDW DOORZV ZRUNHUV WR return to work every day – someone has to feed them, care for them and clean up DIWHU WKHP ´ $HLQ H[SODLQHG T KLV ³VRPHRQH´ LV DOPRVW DOZD\V D ZRPDQ G OREDOO\ ZRPHQ SHUIRUP WKUHH WLPHV as much unpaid care work as men, accord LQJ WR WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO /DERXU 2UJDQLVD WLRQ ,/2 ,Q 0DOD\VLD WLPH XVH VXUYH\V show that women spend nearly 63% more WLPH RQ XQSDLG GRPHVWLF ZRUN WKDQ PHQ

care and emotion – soft, nurturing and WKHUHIRUH XQGHUYDOXHG 7KLV SHUFHSWLRQ MXVWL¿HV ZK\ PHQ¶V ODERXU LV SDLG PRUH DQG GHHPHG PRUH GL̇ FXOW ZKLOH ZRPHQ¶V ZRUN LV WUHDWHG DV QDWXUDO HYHQ LQVWLQFWLYH Double burden, double shift In today’s Malaysia, more women than HYHU DUH SDUW RI WKH IRUPDO ODERXU PDUNHW

Domestic tasks remain largely invisible despite forming the backbone of daily life.