Unpaid Care Work — Time to Center it in Development
Care work encompasses a wide array of both paid and unpaid activities that provide essential support to individuals, households, and communities. It is a cornerstone of society, enabling individuals to thrive by meeting their physical, psychological, and emotional needs. Despite its significance, care work remains largely undervalued and underappreciated, particularly when carried out by women, girls, and marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities (PWDs). Globally, women bear the brunt of this responsibility, disproportionately performing 76% of unpaid care work, which directly impacts their health, well-being, and economic opportunities. This is particularly evident in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where SDG 5 explicitly emphasizes gender equality and calls for the recognition and redistribution of unpaid care work.
The lack of recognition and support for care work perpetuates gender inequality, disability exclusion, and broader social disparities. Despite the essential nature of care work, it is often treated as a private duty rather than a shared societal responsibility, reinforcing a cycle of disadvantage for women and girls. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach to care, which includes a recognition of the need for public policies, social protection services, and shared responsibility within households and communities. Such policies are essential to achieving a more equitable, sustainable society where care is seen not only as a personal obligation but as a critical pillar of social and economic well-being for all.
Distribution of Unpaid Care Work in Kenya
In Kenya, as in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, women disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid care work. Women in Kenya spend significantly more time on unpaid care work compared to men, with studies indicating that women spend an average of 3.5 times more hours daily on caregiving and domestic duties than their male counterparts. This gendered division of labor has direct implications for women’s economic independence, social participation, and overall well-being. Women typically spend more time on direct caregiving for dependents, such as children, the elderly, and those with illnesses, as well as on indirect domestic tasks like cooking, cleaning, and fetching water. While men engage in unpaid care work, particularly in community services, they still spend far fewer hours overall compared to women.
This unequal distribution of care work contributes to a range of challenges for women, including time poverty, which limits their ability to engage in paid work, education, or community decision-making. Women, especially in rural areas, often lack the support systems necessary to ease their caregiving burdens. The physical and emotional toll on women, particularly those from marginalized communities, is compounded by the absence of accessible public services such as childcare, eldercare, and accessible water sources.
For women living with disabilities or those caring for persons with disabilities, the situation is even more dire. The intersection of gender and disability exacerbates the challenges faced, leading to multiple layers of exclusion, discrimination, and invisibility. These women are often unable to participate fully in the workforce, access social services, or engage in community life due to their compounded caregiving responsibilities. This situation underscores the urgent need for policy and infrastructural changes that support the redistribution, recognition, and reduction of care work.
Efforts to address these disparities are underway. The UN Joint Programme on Unpaid Care, Disability, and Gender Transformative Approaches is active in countries like Kenya, working with governments, civil society, and organizations of persons with disabilities to improve care systems. Through policy reforms, community-led care models, and increased advocacy, the program is helping to create a more equitable and inclusive approach to care work. These interventions not only ease the caregiving burden on women but also improve broader social outcomes, such as child health and economic empowerment.
However, challenges persist. A significant portion of women in Kenya work in informal sectors, where they face precarious working conditions and limited access to social protection. The need for comprehensive care policies, public services, and social protection systems remains critical to ensuring that women, particularly those in rural and marginalized communities, can thrive without being weighed down by unpaid care work.
Ultimately, addressing the gendered division of unpaid care work is not just a matter of fairness, but also economic progress. By redistributing, reducing, recognizing, and rewarding care work through the 4R framework, governments, employers, and development partners can unlock the full potential of women, enhance their economic independence, and foster more inclusive, prosperous communities. As Kenya works toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, integrating care work into national policies and development strategies is essential for ensuring that no one is left behind.
Conclusion
Unpaid care work remains a major barrier to gender equality, economic development, and social justice in Kenya and globally, with women and girls shouldering the disproportionate burden at the expense of their health, economic independence, and social participation. To address this, we must embrace the 4R framework — redistribute, reduce, recognize, and reward — by investing in care infrastructure, adopting inclusive policies, and challenging societal norms that devalue women’s labor. Supporting women in their caregiving roles unlocks their potential, benefiting not only individuals but also communities and economies at large. Prioritizing care work is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, creating a fairer, more prosperous, and inclusive future where care is valued and shared.
About the author:
Joan Vwamu is a Governance Portfolio Analyst in UNDP Kenya.
David Ombee is a Project Communications Officer.
