Gender activists in Uganda are pushing for the recognition and support of unpaid caregiving and domestic work, predominantly performed by women and girls.
These tasks, which include child and elder care, cooking, cleaning, and fetching firewood and water, are critical to households and the economy yet are often ignored in economic assessments and policy-making.
Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women’s Network, emphasized the importance of unpaid caregiving, describing it as the backbone of society that is overlooked and underappreciated.
She believes that significant potential and financial worth can be realized with even a small amount of assistance for those working in this “overlooked sector.”
“We must acknowledge the significant contributions of those undertaking these tasks and offer the support needed to alleviate their burdens,” Aciro said.
She suggested measures such as financial compensation, social security benefits, access to quality childcare and elderly care services, flexible work arrangements, and improved parental leave policies.
Angela Nakafeero, commissioner for Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Social Development, illustrated the harsh reality of unpaid caregiving with a familiar image: a mother tending to a charcoal stove, surrounded by a heap of laundry and young children.
Nakafeero noted that assisted care has been discussed in cabinet meetings, quoting President Yoweri Museveni, who questioned, “Who is going to pay for this work?”
Nakafeero clarified that the advocacy is not solely about monetary compensation from spouses but about recognizing and redistributing the workload at home to reduce the burden on one person.
She highlighted that when one person bears the entire burden, it robs them of time that could be used for other economic and personal development activities.
Statistics show that women constitute about 51 percent of Uganda’s population, with many engaged in unpaid care and domestic work. This situation not only represents a loss to the economy but also prevents women from reaching their full potential in other areas.
Sarah Agwang, director of programs at the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), emphasized the government’s role in alleviating the burden of unpaid care and domestic work.
She called for the implementation of support systems that bring essential services closer to the people, such as social protection mechanisms, childcare services, and family leave policies. Improved infrastructure, including healthcare services, childcare facilities, and transportation networks, is also crucial.
Sarah Opendi, chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, underscored the transformative impact of support systems on reducing the burden faced by unpaid caregivers.
She advocated for increased government investment in areas that support unpaid care, such as extending clean water to homes, making electricity cheaper, and establishing early childhood centers.
Florence Asiimwe Akiiki, Woman MP for Masindi and executive director of the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda, suggested that investing in technology and better products can significantly reduce the burden of unpaid care work.
She highlighted the potential of labor-saving devices, such as washing machines and water collection tanks, to save time and challenge traditional gender norms.
A survey by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) indicated that in Uganda, women and girls spend around 20 hours per week on unpaid care work, twice as much time as men and boys.
This disproportionate burden limits their ability to participate in paid employment. The findings showed that women spend 32 hours weekly on unpaid care work and 21 hours on unpaid production of products for home consumption, while men spend 20 and 10 hours per week, respectively.
Globally, over 75 percent of unpaid care work is done by women, and the economic value of all the unpaid care provided by women over 15 years old amounts to an astounding $10.8 trillion.
