To recognise unpaid care labour

In Sri Lanka, a common notion is that women should be primary care providers whereas males should be primary breadwinners.

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But these gendered norms have differed over the course of history due to various circumstances. Today, women have to juggle between multiple roles thereby distancing them from hopes to seek employment opportunities. It is in this backdrop that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya made a recent statement at the 2026 World Economic Forum on recognising unpaid care work where more than 70% of women are engaged in.

According to UN Women, women and girls do 16 billion hours of unpaid care every day - powering families, communities, and economies. Yet, this work remains largely invisible, undervalued and unequally distributed. By definition, unpaid care work is the daily labour that keeps households, families, and communities running — work that is mostly done by women and girls without pay. It includes raising children, caring for older or sick relatives, and supporting a person with disabilities, as well as cleaning, cooking, washing and collecting water or fuel. It also includes organising schedules and anticipating household or community needs often called the ‘mental load’, unpaid care work is the invisible force that holds households and communities together.