Women bear the biggest burden of unpaid care work that curtails their economic contribution and financial independence, Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has said.
“We recognise that the burden of unpaid care work disproportionately falls on women, limiting their opportunities for growth and advancement.”
The governor said statistics show women in Kenya spend 4.6 times more time on unpaid care work than men.
“According to the 2022 UN Women Time Use Survey, women dedicate four hours and 38 minutes daily to unpaid domestic and care work, while men spend just one hour and one minute.”
Unpaid care work includes child-rearing, care for the elderly and domestic services predominantly undertaken by women.
Malombe spoke on Tuesday in Kitui when he presided over the launch of the UN Women Supported Evidence to Policy for Kenya Care Economy Project being implemented by the Anglican Development Services Eastern.
The event was attended by Dan Bazira, the deputy country representative for UN Women, director State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action Grace Wasike and the CEO of ADSE John Mutua.
Malombe hailed the launch of the project being implemented by ADSE, saying it marked a critical step towards strengthening the care infrastructure in Kitui.
The governor said the project perfectly aligns with his administration’s vision of addressing structural inequalities to create a more inclusive society.
He added that the initiative was a welcome move towards ensuring that care work receives the recognition, investment, and policy support it deserves.
“As a county government, we are committed to fostering gender equality and empowering women to participate fully in economic, social, and political life,” said Malombe.
The governor enumerated the measures put in place by his administration to undertake several initiatives to improve the lives of women in Kitui and promote economic empowerment including improved access to water and having women in decision making.
“We have significantly enhanced access to clean water by constructing sump wells, rehabilitating boreholes, and sinking new boreholes across the county,” Malombe said.
The UN initiative aims to remove structural and systemic barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the Kenyan economy by developing a National Care Policy for the country, implementing the policy at both national and county levels, and strengthening women’s entrepreneurship.
The policy aims to recognise and value care work for the critical role it plays in society. Women carry the heavy burden of care work—cooking, cleaning, looking after children, the elderly, or sick family members.
The policy 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.
