New policy by UN Women to open up Kenya’s undervalued care economy

By Steve UMIDHA

A new policy by UN Women, a United Nations-led entity focused on gender equality and the empowerment of women, is expected to open up Kenya’s underutilized care economy, which contributes nearly 7 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

If ratified, the National Care Policy (NCP), currently under consideration by the cabinet, could unlock opportunities in unpaid care and domestic work – an area the UN body says has been ignored for far too long.

“We are confident that the policy will be sanctioned by the cabinet, following a thorough lobbying by all stakeholders, including the Council of County Governors (CoG), who felt it had not been involved in the policy’s development,” said Elizabeth Obanda, who leads the women’s economic empowerment programme at the UN Women.

Her office is banking on the existence of the draft policy to stimulate social change and a shift in attitude, in advocating for robust, gender-responsive, and accessible care systems, not just in Kenya but also globally.

“It (the NCP) sets out to reduce the load on women and help balance the scales between unpaid care and paid employment, which could lead to a more equal future for all,” said Ms Obanda.

Mooted 8 years ago, in 2017, the national care policy is expected to bring to light challenges and opportunities in the care economy, a sector that remains deficient in public discourse. It is also largely unrecognized in national accounts and is seen as primarily women’s work, leading to a lack of policy focus and support despite its essential role in development.

It is a sector, Chryspin Afifu, a Gender and WEE (women’s economic empowerment) Specialist for ICRW Africa, says, that will need to be institutionalized and recognized upon its implementation, with the draft policy further expected to be discussed by the Parliament.

This comes ahead of the International Day of Care and Support, observed annually on October 29, which was established by the United Nations to raise awareness about the critical importance of care work and to advocate for robust, gender-responsive, and accessible care systems globally.

Indeed, there has been a growing recognition of the care economy’s fiscal potential, with initiatives like the Africa Care Economy Index providing data and calling for policy and financial investment to support care infrastructure and promote gender equality.

Africa Care Economy is a tool developed by the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) to evaluate how well African countries recognize and support care work through legislation, policy, and public spending, using 10 metrics, including maternity leave and childcare, among others.