admin | February 29, 2024
The first two weeks of the discussion focused on understanding what unpaid care work is and the impact of social norms on unpaid care work. With 300 registered participants, the discussion now has 174 active participants and is currently in its third week, and focusing on the changes necessary to support unpaid care workers, who are largely women.
Unpaid care work refers to various activities and responsibilities essential for the well-being and functioning of households and communities. It includes tasks such as childcare, meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for elderly or disabled family members, laundry and clothing care, managing family finances, shopping for groceries, collecting and caring for livestock, providing emotional support, health maintenance, first aid, accompanying family members to healthcare facilities, social support and community involvement, tutoring, transporting family members, supervising and coordinating family events, advocating and representing family members’ interests, engaging in community development activities, and offering creative and artistic input for family and community events.
Unpaid care work can occur in homes and in the community. In the community, it includes volunteering in community development activities, organizing community care events, participating in neighborhood clean-up efforts, providing informal counseling and emotional support, engaging in grassroots advocacy, and representing community interests.
Addressing unpaid care work requires challenging fixed gender roles and promoting equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities between men and women in order to achieve gender equality and empower all individuals within the family and society.
Economic disparities significantly impact how unpaid care work is divided with families, with women bearing a disproportionate burden. Poverty worsens reliance on unpaid care in families, leading them to rely on family members, especially women, to do various household and family tasks. More advantaged families may be able to afford to hire help to complete these tasks. When it comes to how age is involved in unpaid care work, discussion participants said that, though the older generation was traditionally more responsible, attitudes towards caregiving are evolving, with younger generations increasingly participating in unpaid work.
The division of labour in unpaid care work varies between rural and urban areas, with rural women dedicating more time to unpaid tasks, while men contribute most of their time to paid employment. Urban women, on the other hand, may have less time for unpaid care work as they balance paid work with childcare, education, elder care, and community services, while also volunteering in the community. Regardless of the location, women bear the primary responsibility for childcare, education, emotional development, and supporting family members during illness.
Despite differences in specific tasks and time allocation between locations, women remain the backbone of caregiving. Family members’ health significantly influences their involvement in caregiving, as does societal expectations and the stigma associated with men participating in caregiving. Community networks and community-based initiatives are crucial in supporting caregivers in Africa, providing psychosocial support, training, and empowerment.
The discussion continues over the next two weeks, discussing the resources and infrastructure required to support individuals involved in unpaid care work, and how broadcasters can address this topic on air. We hope our radio partners broadcast programs on this important topic over the next two months.
The discussion continues with the support of expert guests, including:
- Adama Camara, XXX, in Mali
- Herman Dawega of Association pour la Promotion des Enfants en Difficultés in Burkina Faso
- Adaora Sydney-Jack A of Gender Strategy Advancement International in Nigeria
- Mary Nsemwa of Tanzania Gender Networking Programme in Tanzania
- Yonas Mitiku of Union of Ethiopian Women and Children Associations in Ethiopia
- Beatrice Chisomo Mateyo of Coalition for the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Malawi
This discussion is part of the ‘UCARE – Unpaid Care in sub-Saharan Africa‘ initiative, which aims to increase gender equality and women’s empowerment through a commitment to more just and equitable sharing of unpaid care and domestic work within the household and the family in sub-Saharan Africa. The project is implemented in partnership with Farm Radio International (FRI), UN Women, and The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) thanks to funding from Global Affairs Canada.