This chapter examines the hidden foundations of women’s labor and wellbeing in patriarchal societies, focusing on the intersection of unpaid care work, economic exclusion, psychological distress, and domestic violence. Across South Asia, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of unpaid household labor—work that sustains families and economies yet remains invisible in GDP and policy frameworks. This systemic neglect traps women in cycles of “time poverty,” restricting access to education, employment, and civic participation. The chapter quantifies the care economy’s vast contribution, revealing its macroeconomic significance while highlighting its micro-level consequences—loss of autonomy, depression, and social isolation. It situates these outcomes within structural inequalities of power and resource allocation, where women’s economic dependence perpetuates vulnerability to violence and exploitation. Through case studies and global data, the discussion links gendered labor divisions with mental health outcomes and social justice, arguing for the formal recognition and redistribution of care work. The narrative concludes with the story of Flavia Agnes, whose pioneering legal advocacy reframed domestic violence as a public issue, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic reform and cultural transformation.