THE contribution of women to the economy is significant but remains beyond the spell of evaluation. It is so, despite the fact that they work at home for sixteen to twenty hours a day. They prepare food for all members of the family, maintain different equipment including those used in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and drawing rooms plus stores. Working as housewives, women work as helping hands of their husbands, children and parents plus parents in law. Above all these, they play the role of mothers and guides of their children.

Speakers at a seminar held in the city called for proper evaluation of the contribution of women to the economy and the socio-economic development of the country. For national growth and development, the contribution of silent work of women at home has been assessed and evaluated to be ninety-one billion dollars per year. It was stated in the seminar that over eighty-one percent of women are directly involved in household work, compared to about one and a half percent of men who work in their households.

A speaker at the seminar presented the findings in a research paper. He stated that relevant policy makers in Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam have adopted programmes for evaluation of the contribution of household workers, mainly housewives. The aim is to evaluate the contribution of women to the economy. Recognition of the contribution of women for household work and the growth and development of children is important.

It is worth noting that some researchers as well as the regional director of an international agency took the initiative for assessment of the contribution of housewives in Bangladesh. The roles of mothers and housewives have to be made publicly known and socially recognised.