The findings highlight how the shortage of reliable childcare services is undermining women’s economic participation while also affecting children’s development and household welfare.
Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, minister for women and children affairs and social welfare, attending at a session of the National Childcare Conference 2026 at Bangla Academy in Dhaka on 14 November. Photo: TBS
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Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, minister for women and children affairs and social welfare, attending at a session of the National Childcare Conference 2026 at Bangla Academy in Dhaka on 14 November. Photo: TBS
A lack of affordable and accessible childcare is a major barrier to women’s workforce participation in Bangladesh, with four in 10 urban women outside the labour force citing childcare responsibilities as the main reason for not seeking work, according to a World Bank study presented at a conference in Dhaka today (14 November).
The study highlights how the shortage of reliable childcare services is limiting women’s economic participation and affecting children’s development and household welfare.
The study, titled “Childcare in Bangladesh: What Families Need, What Providers Deliver, and Where the Gaps Remain”, was presented by Kate Vyborny, an economist at the World Bank’s South Asia Region Gender Innovation Lab, at the National Childcare Conference 2026 at Bangla Academy in Dhaka this morning.
The event is jointly organised by Synergos Bangladesh, Brac Institute of Educational Development (Brac IED), Brac and the World Bank Group.
The two-day conference brings together policymakers, development partners and practitioners to discuss the role of childcare in women’s employment and early childhood development.
Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, minister for women and children affairs and social welfare, attended the inaugural session as the chief guest today.
Kate Vyborny said Bangladesh has around 9.6 million young people aged 15-29 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), nearly two-thirds of whom are women. The disproportionate burden of unpaid care responsibilities on women is among the factors limiting their participation in economic activities.
The study found that when suitable childcare is unavailable, women often have to forgo paid work, take their children to their workplaces or rely on older siblings to look after younger children.
The World Bank conducted household surveys covering 4,700 households across rural, urban and semi-urban areas to understand families’ childcare needs, preferences, affordability and decisions.
A separate supply-side assessment mapped 514 childcare providers in Dhaka, of which 335 completed detailed surveys on service availability, quality, staffing, affordability and financial viability.
The study found that only 0.1% of urban female respondents reported using formal daycare centres, while nearly 20% relied on care provided at a caregiver’s home.
The findings suggest that informal, home-based arrangements remain an important part of Bangladesh’s childcare system, despite being largely unrecognised and often operating without adequate safety measures or trained caregivers.
The quality of childcare also varies substantially across government, private and home-based facilities. Government-run centres are more likely to have trained workers, better infrastructure and meal provisions. However, they are often located in higher-income areas, and around half have waiting lists.
Home-based childcare, meanwhile, frequently lacks basic safety features. None of the home-based caregivers covered by the provider survey reported receiving formal training.
The study also found that proximity and trust strongly influence parents’ childcare choices.
Mothers in semi-urban areas were willing to pay Tk1,000-1,700 more per month for childcare facilities located closer to their homes rather than their workplaces or training centres. They were also willing to pay up to Tk1,200 more per month for services provided by someone they trusted.
However, access to childcare alone may not be enough to bring more women into employment, as household attitudes and restrictions on women’s work also influence their decisions.
The World Bank findings call for a comprehensive childcare strategy that expands access while improving service quality. Policy priorities include supporting community-based and home-based care, providing targeted financial assistance to low-income families, training caregivers and strengthening safety standards.
The study also cautions against imposing overly stringent regulations without adequate support, warning that this could force existing informal providers to shut down and further reduce childcare options for low-income families.
Bangladesh’s Child Day Care Act 2021 provides a framework for registering childcare centres, but full enforcement has yet to begin.
The study recommends combining registration and inspection with caregiver training, safety resources and continuous community feedback.
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