Stakeholders at the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) Forum have emphasized the need to recognize and value the care economy in Kenya. Likewise, they have called for the reduction of the burden of unpaid care work to promote economic inclusion among women in Kenya.
The Forum was themed Care Agenda in the Private Sector for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, and brought together stakeholders from Kenya’s private sector to address the care work predominantly undertaken by women. The discussions focused on practical solutions and strategies to alleviate the burden of unpaid care work and enhance women’s participation in the economy.
Participants called for comprehensive measures to support women’s economic empowerment and ensure their contributions to the care economy are recognized and valued, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.
In attendance at the Forum was the Director of Social Economic Empowerment at the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, Ms. Grace Wasike, who reinforced the government’s commitment to implementing interventions that support women’s economic inclusion. This is by highlighting the significant role of the care economy in achieving this goal.
“It is crucial to recognize how addressing unpaid care and domestic work can bring substantial benefits to businesses. Companies that implement such policies are better positioned to attract and retain top talent,” she said.
According to data from the Kenya Time Use Survey report 2021, (KNBS 2021), women spend approximately five times more time on unpaid care and domestic work at 18.7%, compared to men at 3.6%. This translates to 4 hours and 30 minutes per day for women versus 54 minutes for men.
In her address, UN Women Kenya Country Representative Anna Mutavati emphasized the need to recognize the contribution of unpaid care to the national GDP. This is in addition to reducing the burden of care on women and girls, redistributing care tasks, and rethinking traditional norms that hinder women from contributing economically.
She also stressed the importance of rewarding paid care, including for domestic workers, and ensuring representation in leadership and policy-making for sustainable development and community welfare.