Why care work should be everyone’s business

Conversations around women’s economic empowerment often spotlight access to capital, job creation and education. Yet, one of the most pervasive barriers remains largely unacknowledged: unpaid care and domestic work.

Across Africa, particularly in Kenya, this form of labour is the invisible engine of both households and economies, shouldered predominantly by women and girls.

At the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), we believe that any serious commitment to gender equality must contend with how care is structured, valued and distributed.

In many societies, particularly across Africa, unpaid care and domestic work remain invisible drivers of economies, carried overwhelmingly on the shoulders of women and girls.

In Kenya, where cultural norms and limited infrastructure compound the challenge, women often spend hours each day caring for children, the elderly and the sick, limiting their ability to participate equally in the workforce, grow businesses, or pursue education.

To address this long-standing inequity, ICRW is spearheading a transformative agenda, supported by UN Women and implemented in collaboration with the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, alongside relevant government ministries, agencies and care ecosystem actors.

This agenda focuses on finalising, disseminating and domesticating Kenya’s National Care Policy. This ambitious initiative seeks to recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, reward and ensure representation of paid care work by anchoring care into public policy, economic planning and service delivery.

But this is more than a technical policy process, it is a societal reset. It’s about changing lives. Because when we talk about care, we’re talking about time, dignity, opportunity and ultimately, economic freedom for women.

This work is rooted in one clear belief: care is a collective responsibility, and recognising it is key to unlocking women’s economic power.

Care is not a private burden. It is a public good that underpins every other sector of society such as health, education, agriculture, labour and beyond.

By developing a care policy, Kenya has the opportunity to lead the region in recognising and investing in this foundational aspect of social and economic life.

Countries that have invested in care infrastructure such as accessible early childhood education, eldercare services and paid family leave, have witnessed measurable gains in women’s labour force participation, improved child and elder well-being, and stronger economic performance.

For example, Sweden offers universal, heavily subsidised childcare with over 95 percent enrollment for children aged three to five years and provides up to 480 days of paid parental leave per child shared between parents.

As a result, Sweden maintains one of the highest female labour force participation rates globally (over 81 percent as of 2022) and a relatively narrow gender employment gap.

Similarly, Uruguay introduced its National Integrated Care System in 2015, leading to a 10 percent decline in the time women spent on unpaid care work and an increase in labour participation among women aged 25–45.

These cases demonstrate that investing in care is not only a matter of social justice, but also a proven pathway to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

At ICRW, we are proud to walk alongside women, government officials, development partners, and civil society in this groundbreaking journey.

We remain committed to evidence-based advocacy, collaborative policymaking, and amplifying the voices of care providers, especially the most marginalised.

When we recognise, reduce, and redistribute care work, we do more than support women. We build resilient economies, healthier communities and a more equitable future for everyone.

Kenya’s moment is now. By leading on care policy, Kenya can set a precedent across Africa and the Global South, demonstrating that building resilient, inclusive economies begins with dignifying care work.

We urge policymakers, development partners, employers, media and citizens alike to reframe care as core to national prosperity and not a niche women's issue.

Every hour a woman spends on unpaid care without support is an hour of foregone opportunity for economic growth, social mobility, and personal agency.

Once implemented, the National Care Policy has the potential to unlock the full economic potential of women, especially those in low-income and informal sectors.

It envisions a Kenya where women can engage in the labour force without compromising their families’ care needs and where the State takes an active, supportive role in enabling and sustaining caregiving across society.

The writer is a Senior Research Scientist - Women & Youth Economic Opportunity at the International Centre for Women and Research (ICRW).