Experts call for policy clarity on unpaid care work

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Five years ago, as women's economic empowerment gained momentum through the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) scheme, the world was brought to a standstill.

The coronavirus pandemic, increased conflicts, and severe weather disasters resulting from climate change disrupted lives and economies on an unprecedented scale.

Households lost their income, jobs were lost, women had to change their occupations, and people were earning less than they used to.

“Individuals and households were highly stressed,” Cleopatra Mugenyi, a public health, policy, and gender specialist as well as co-founder of Paica Consulting Ltd (Kenya), said.

However, research stemming from the GrOW Two-East Africa initiative, launched in 2020, showed a positive impact. For instance, in Uganda, the introduction of community-based childcare solutions and training programmes that encouraged men to share caregiving responsibilities resulted in a 40% reduction in women’s unpaid care work.

“Having positive evidence means when there is an upturn in the global, regional, national, and county situation, the interventions will work better because households and individuals will be less stressed,” Mugenyi enthused.

The genesis

The GrOW Two-East Africa initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), aimed to spur transformative change and advance gender equality in the world of work.

According to Katheryn Toure, IDRC regional director for east and southern Africa, women's economic empowerment is both a financial and social imperative.

IDRC regional director, Katheryn Toure, says women's equal access to work, assets, and opportunities benefits entire communities. (Courtesy)

“When women have equal access to decent work, productive assets, and decision-making opportunities, entire communities thrive,” she emphasised during the GrOW Two-East Africa end-of-program workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, from March 5-7, 2025.

Toure highlighted that GrOW’s research and innovation contribute to global commitments, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5, 8, and 10, which focus on gender equality, economic growth, and reducing inequalities, respectively.

She acknowledged persistent challenges but emphasised that evidence-based solutions generated through GrOW serve as stepping stones towards transformative change, not just for individual women, but for families, communities, and economies as a whole.

“Since its inception, GrOW East Africa has bridged the gap between research and policy, ensuring that gender-responsive strategies move beyond discussion and are implemented at scale.”

How GrOW can fully empower women

Mugenyi said that while it is laudable to have the support of policymakers, the challenge lies in convincing peers, department heads, and other individuals to turn the evidence into policy and action.

“We need to share information in a way that resonates with policymakers, using a language that is clear, and this requires consistent effort.

“Currently, we have ongoing discussions on unpaid care work, but it took years to build understanding of its importance and the need for policies to address it.

“Consequently, we need more evidence that policymakers can easily grasp and find compelling.”

(Courtesy photo)

The cost

“We must consider costs when implementing interventions,” said Mugenyi. “Even with solid evidence and good interventions, they remain ineffective if governments lack the resources to implement them.”

She said that as traditional aid partners turn their focus inward, East African countries must find ways to fill the gap where aid is no longer available.

Currently, East African governments are expanding the tax base, “but it may negatively impact vulnerable populations, including women-owned businesses.”

Mugenyi said it is important to balance taxation with women's economic empowerment strategies.

She also stated that interventions should incorporate existing systems rather than operate in isolation.

“For instance, childcare services models can be embedded within Ministry of Education and Health programmes to support early childhood development.”

Mugenyi said that rather than creating stand-alone programmes, interventions must fit into the complex, resource-constrained environment.

Impacting society

It is important to think about how the evidence generated can be used beyond the targeted population, said Mugenyi.

“For instance, domestic workers, many of whom are bound to have children, may benefit from childcare services. By providing these services, we offer her an opportunity to work while ensuring her child or children are cared for.

“However, these women won’t need domestic jobs forever. Therefore, we must also train them and other young women on skill sets that will get them employed in non-traditional sectors,” she said.

“We need to think about scaling up and consider women working in the informal sector or those straddling both the informal and formal sectors, who often aren’t included in women’s economic empowerment conversations because they are seemingly economically empowered.

“Furthermore, we must consider the aspirations of young women who are now more connected and educated, with a trove of information.

“The models we develop for skilling them in order to venture into non-traditional sectors should be broader and include the private sector to increase the number of women in non-traditional sectors.”

Mugenyi said women in Africa, particularly in East Africa, are incredibly resilient. They have always worked, whether in paid or unpaid roles.

“There has never been a time when they haven’t worked. What we need to do is ensure that the policies we develop and implement meet women where they are and satisfy their needs.

“By meeting these needs, whether in access to procurement opportunities, enabling women to work in non-traditional sectors, or supporting sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights, we empower women to make decisions about their lives, including how many children they wish to have and when.

“These issues are deeply interconnected to women’s economic empowerment,” she said.

What the future holds

“Looking ahead, we have the opportunity to strengthen gender-sensitive economic policies, ensuring that childcare, unpaid care work, and decent work opportunities are central to national economic strategies,” Toure enthused.

“We can scale successful employment and training programmes, expanding women’s access to high-quality jobs.

“Furthermore, we can encourage governments, businesses, and organisations to adopt gender-responsive procurement and workplace policies to drive lasting change,” she said.

Mugenyi said that women’s economic empowerment ventures must consider the connections and fit within the larger, complex ecosystem. “Only then can we ensure that our efforts truly contribute to women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development.”