Stakeholders assert that Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW) in Uganda create profound societal challenges, impacting individual well-being and economic development. They highlight the disproportionate burden on women, which limits their opportunities for education and employment.
Addressing UCDW is seen as crucial for fostering gender equality and enhancing the nation’s progress.
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“Time poverty, where women and girls spend more than 4 hours a day on unpaid care and domestic work, limits their opportunities for education, employment, and personal development,” said Rita Aciro, Executive Director(Social Development , Governance and leadership, gender, women and human rights defender.), Uganda Women’s Network – UWONET.
Unpaid Care and Domestic Work including tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare, are essential to the well-being of individuals, families, and societies.
Speaking at a high-level dialogue on unpaid care and domestic work on Tuesday, Aciro said that the failure of the state to provide, regulate, and fund formal services for domestic and care work exacerbates the burden on communities, families, and particularly women and girls, leading to increased poverty, reduced economic opportunities, and decreased social mobility.
She noted that unpaid care and domestic work is essential for the well-being of individuals and society, yet it is often undervalued and overlooked.
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Study shows that women globally perform over 75% of unpaid care work, with a staggering global monetary value of USD 10.8 trillion for women over 15 years.
Aciro says this just empahasises that unpaid care and domestic work is a critical aspect of the economy, yet it is often undervalued and unrecognized.
“More increasingly, women and girls are shouldering a role primarily held by the state, of providing essential care services but with little help. The routine actions required to keep households running smoothly is tedious and laborious because of the inputs.”
Oxfam and UWONET’s 2018 We Care Report titled, “Gender Roles and the Care Economy in Ugandan Households” revealed that women spend most of their time doing care work. The findings showed that, on average, women spent 32 hours weekly on unpaid care work and 21 hours weekly on unpaid production of products for home consumption, while men spent 20 and 10 hours per week respectively.
She revealed that in Uganda, this has led to reduced productivity, lower earning potential, and limited personal growth.
“The burden of UCDW can have severe health consequences, including stress, fatigue, and decreased immunity. The lack of social protection mechanisms, such as childcare services or family leave policies, exacerbates the challenges faced by caregivers. Inadequate infrastructure, including insufficient healthcare services and childcare facilities, makes it difficult for caregivers to balance their responsibilities. Traditional cultural and social norms that emphasize women’s domestic roles can limit their ability to participate in public life and contribute to economic development.”
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She added, “The consequences of UCDW are far-reaching, impacting various aspects of society. For instance, the lack of social support systems and inadequate healthcare services can lead to poor health outcomes for caregivers, particularly women, with long-term consequences for individual health and societal development. The exclusion of women from leadership positions due to their limited participation in the formal labor market perpetuates gender inequality and limits the representation of diverse perspectives. The continued emphasis on traditional gender roles can perpetuate gender inequality and limit women’s access to education, employment, and leadership opportunities. Furthermore, the limited participation of women in the formal labor market can lead to reduced economic growth, as half of the workforce is not contributing to the economy.”
To address these challenges, Aciro says it is essential to recognize the value of unpaid care work and provide support systems to alleviate the burden on caregivers.
“Governments and institutions should implement policies that promote gender equality in education, employment, and leadership positions. Social protection mechanisms, such as childcare services and family leave policies, should be developed to support caregivers. Infrastructure that supports caregivers, including healthcare services, childcare facilities, and transportation networks, should be developed.”
Additionally, she said efforts should also be made to promote cultural change by changing certain challenging traditional gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality.
“By addressing the challenges posed by UCDW, Uganda can promote gender equality, reduce poverty levels, improve healthcare outcomes, increase economic development opportunities, and develop human capital.”
Angela Nakafeero – Commissioner, Gender and Women Affairs says there is a need to invest in alternatives like machinery and technologies like biogas, reduced costs on the essentials like electricity and cooking gas which would reduce the time spent at home by care work givers.
“We all know that 90% of Ugandans use a charcoal fire for cooking. So if you’re going to recognise care work and also ensure that we are able to sustain our green and forest cover, we need to ensure that we invest in technologies that will reduce the burden on our environment.”
“…technology has to be affordable, [well] distributed in rural and urban areas.”
Ms. Rita Namuddu – Finance Trust Bank applauds UWONET efforts & says that this dialogue has come in so handy as she is concerned about the condition of women that work in diaspora yet return with nothing after getting exploited. Some send money home& it’s misused.
Ms. Elliot Orizaarwa – Gender and Development Practitioner asked whether women in rural areas take unpaid care& domestic work serious as it has a big effect on their life span thus a big burden &should be recognised& redistributed at all levels.
Zawedde Hasina chairperson Wandegeya Cooperative Society of Women Street Vendors appreciates UWONET team under the leadership of Rita Aciro for always engaging women in informal sector.
Owekitibwa Nakkazi Fatuma urged her fellow cultural leaders to create more awareness in recognising unpaid care work & says education is the powerful tool to change to address & change people’s perception.
Hon. Sarah Opendi – Chairperson Uganda Women Parliamentary Association appreciated UWONET effort in reimagining the future of care economy and commits to urge other Members of parliament to promote the recognition &redistribution of unpaid care work so as to reduce the burden.
Sarah Jesca Agwang – Programme Coordinator at Uganda Women’s Network- emphasised that unpaid care and domestic work is a critical aspect of the economy yet it is not recognised. Women and girls support the economy to run in different sectors.
Jane Ocaya-Irama – Gender Justice & Women’s Rights Lead, Oxfam in Uganda said Care Policy Scorecard provides a practical tool to assess &track the extent to which government policies related to care are adopted, budgeted for &implemented, &the extent to which they’ve a transformative effect on care.
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