Myanmar National Policy Brief

On average women spend four hours and 25 minutes daily doing un paid care and domestic

work, in comparison to men’s average of just one hour and 23 minutes. Globally this is changing

by less than a minute per year. If properly valued this work would constitute at least 9% of

global GDP or US$11 trillion. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has revealed the extent to which

public services have been under-funded for a generation, with women in the poorest

communities often having to take the strain and fill the gaps through unpaid care and domestic

work. This crisis is however an opportunity for some fundamental changes, with governments

looking for structural solutions and new ways forward, in short to build back better.

To rebuild public finances Myanmar needs to rapidly and fairly expand its domestic tax. By

taking a combination of actions on tax, debt and austerity the government of Myanmar could

transform the quality of all public services and start shaping a sustainable economy that cares

for both people and the planet.