Author: Poe Ei Phyu, Portfolio Manager Gender Justice Program, Oxfam in Timor-Leste
In Timor-Leste, women carry a heavy and often invisible burden. Every day, they take on essential responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, raising children, and caring for the sick, elderly, and people with disabilities (PwDs). On average, a woman in Timor-Leste spends 57 hours per week on care work alone (Oxfam, 2022). Despite this enormous contribution, their labour is unpaid and treated as a family obligation—rooted in love—rather than as valuable work. This raises an important question: what do women actually receive in return for this critical, yet unrecognized, labour?
Too often, the answer is clear:
- Women’s work is unvalued or undervalued by society.
- Their contributions are not formally recognized.
- They are considered dependent rather than independent contributors.
Unpaid care work is not simply a private family matter. It is an issue of inequality and a broader social problem—one that too often goes unquestioned. Some might argue: Why is this a problem for everyone? Isn’t it enough that chores are done, and women are willing to perform them?
The truth is, it is not okay.
First, our society largely assumes that care work is inherently women’s work and requires no specific skill set. As a result, the value of this labour is minimized. This perception extends to the paid labour sector—particularly domestic workers—who often work the longest hours, waking before their employers and resting only after the household has gone to sleep, yet earning some of the lowest wages.
Second, the burden of unpaid care work is not shared equally. Women in rural areas, where access to healthcare services, roads, electricity, and clean water is limited, face far greater challenges than women in urban areas with better infrastructure. Similarly, women from poorer households’ shoulder heavier burdens compared to women from wealthier families. This inequality often trickles down to the next generation, with daughters carrying out tasks such as fetching water, collecting firewood, and caring for younger siblings—sacrificing their own time for education and play.
Third, unpaid care work keeps many women out of the paid labour force. With most of their time consumed by unpaid household responsibilities, they have little opportunity to seek employment. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO – 2018), 606 million working-age women worldwide are unable to join the labour market due to the heavy burden of unpaid care work.
For Timor-Leste, this issue goes beyond gender inequality—it has serious implications for national development. Unpaid care work not only restricts women’s opportunities but also hinders the economic potential of the country as a whole.
Solutions are possible. Expanding access to basic infrastructure—such as water systems, electricity, and healthcare—can significantly reduce the time women spend on unpaid tasks. Affordable care services can also provide much-needed support for families with limited resources. Most importantly, shifting social norms and encouraging men to share unpaid care responsibilities is vital. As the saying goes, “Sharing is Caring.” When men and women share the responsibilities of care, families thrive, and society as a whole moves toward greater equality and harmony.
