Why Do So Few Men in Pakistan Do Household Work?

Even India – with very similar patriarchal norms – looks dramatically different.

New data from Pakistan’s Labour Force Survey 2024–25 conducted by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows a striking pattern:

Only 6.7% of Pakistani men report doing any household chore such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, or arranging the house.
For comparison:
India: 26% of men do household work on a typical day
United States: 74% of men
Pakistan: 6.7% of men
Despite cultural similarities, Indian men are almost four times more likely than Pakistani men to participate in household chores.

What does this say about us?

1. Patriarchy alone doesn’t explain it.
India is also deeply patriarchal, but the gap is far smaller.

2. Household work is still considered “women’s responsibility” in Pakistan.
The extremely low male participation rate highlights how invisible these tasks remain for men.

3. Women carry an overwhelming unpaid workload.

With only a tiny fraction of men helping at home, Pakistani women face a daily burden that affects their time, mobility, job opportunities, and well-being.