In Bangladesh, women have traditionally managed and beautified their homes without pay or recognition. A rising number are transforming that unpaid work into careers by using social media to display their spaces, grow followings, and generate income.
The quiet shift from hobby to business
Amina Akter, founder of Maiama, began as a way to occupy her time after becoming a mother. Isolated at home with fewer social connections, she started photographing her living space—a small two-room government quarter with minimal furniture. What started as a personal creative outlet quickly gained thousands of followers on Facebook.
She had no idea Facebook vlogging existed. Her husband, recognizing her talent for photography, suggested she post. She never planned for it to become a business. It was simply a way to reclaim part of herself while adjusting to motherhood.
Her first paid collaboration arrived unexpectedly. When Instyle By Tamanna contacted her, the money wasn’t the only reward. “It felt like validation of my work,” she said. “That moment boosted my confidence.” More brands followed, including Hatil and Pran, though she declined many offers, especially those requiring voiceovers, which made her uneasy.
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Her earnings grew from nothing to a significant financial contribution. The real turning point came when followers asked where to buy the clothes she wore in her videos. That led to her launching her own clothing line while raising two children and carefully choosing projects that fit her schedule.
Designing a life, not just a feed
The change isn’t just financial. It represents a new way of viewing domestic labor—no longer unseen, but visible, respected, and even profitable.
A passion, not a profession
Dr. Hafsa Raka, a consultant at Derma & Aesthetics and the mind behind Decor by Dr Iraboti, has always treated home décor as a passion rather than a career. With over 228,000 followers, her page is the largest of the three, yet she insists the numbers were never the focus.
“Medicine is my profession,” she said. “Home décor is my creative escape.” During the pandemic, she began sharing the peaceful corners of her home online, not to become an influencer, but to celebrate the beauty in everyday spaces. “I didn’t design my home for social media,” she said. “Social media became a place to share the home I genuinely love.”
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She has partnered with brands in home décor, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty, but only when the opportunity felt right. As her medical practice expanded, she reduced promotional work but still creates content when time allows. She doesn’t discuss her earnings from it and makes clear that medicine remains her primary income source. What home décor offers, she says, is something equally valuable: happiness.
Reclaiming the home as a space of value
Amina and Dr. Raka didn’t start with a mission to prove anything. They simply wanted to create something beautiful. Their experiences, however, reflect a larger transformation. The home, long seen as a place of unpaid women’s labor, is now becoming a site of creative control, financial freedom, and self-determined work.
The abilities that once went unnoticed—decorating, organizing, curating—are now building audiences, launching businesses, and supporting careers. The home itself hasn’t changed. What has changed is who decides its value.
Similar shifts are happening in other sectors where licensing plays a key role, as seen in recent developments in healthcare regulations.