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In the lead up to the second annual International Day ofCare and Support, we at GHV are reflecting on the care economy and efforts made globally to address the complex economic and social issues related to care. Largely invisible but essential, the care economy operates on the backs of unremunerated women and girls whose efforts keep households and communities functioning by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children, the elderly and sick family members day in and day out.
Globally, women perform more than 75% of unpaid care work, which amounts to about 3.2 times more than men. In lower-income households, the burden is even greater, often exacerbated by limited access to essential services like clean water, healthcare, and education. In Kenya, women and girls shoulder an even more disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, spending four to five hours a day on these tasks compared to just one hour for men.
Without access to affordable, quality care services, women have less time and fewer opportunities to engage in paid employment, participate in educational programs, or invest in their personal development. This imbalance not only limits women’s opportunities for economic empowerment, but also underestimates gross-domestic product and inhibits long-term sustainable economic growth. For girls, the burden of care means time out of school, setting them on the same path of limited opportunities that women face.
In 2023, Kenya took a groundbreaking step by passing its first-ever National Care Policy, which was published in 2024. This policy aims to recognize unpaid care work; provide accessible care services for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities; and establish a legal framework to protect the rights of caregivers. The policy is part of Kenya’s broader commitment to achieving gender equality, aligning with the country’s goals under SustainableDevelopment Goal 5 (SDG 5).
Kenya's National Care Policy is built around theInternational Labour Organization’s (ILO) "5 Rs" framework for care work:
1. Recognize unpaid care work as essential labor that supports the economy.
2. Reduce the burden of unpaid care work on women through public services and infrastructure.
3. Redistribute care responsibilities between women and men, and between families and the state.
4. Reward care workers with decent jobs, fair wages, and legal protections.
5. Represent care workers through social dialogue and collective bargaining.
By formalizing these principles, Kenya’s care policy is not only a milestone in the country but also sets an example for other nations grappling with similar issues of unpaid care work.
Before Kenya’s National Care Policy could be developed, a clear understanding of the scope of the issues surrounding unpaid care work needed to be understood. UN Women in partnership with the Government of Kenya and other NGOs set to fill data gaps in understanding the unpaid care burden on women (and girls) in Kenya. Research initiatives including the NationalTime Use Study (made possible through a Women Count investment) and the WhatWorks WEE Hub surfaced critical data insights. Those insights illustrated how unpaid care work impacts Kenyan women’s economic opportunities and the overall well-being of women, their families and the Kenyan economy. Understanding the scale of the issue helped advocacy groups and policymakers make a compelling case for change.
The National Care Policy in Kenya addresses a crucial gap in the country’s socio-economic framework: the under appreciated and un supported role of unpaid care work. By recognizing and redistributing care responsibilities, the policy enables more women to participate in the paid work force, contributing to both family income and national economic growth. Additionally, the National Care Policy aligns with Kenya’s commitments to international agreements, such as the Generation Equality Forum and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, further cementing the country's leadership in gender equality and women’s rights.
While the passing of the National Care Policy is a monumental achievement, the next challenge is its implementation. The policy will first be rolled out in three counties – Kitui, Laikipia, and West Pokot – before expanding nationwide. Adequate funding, cross-sectoral coordination, and continuous advocacy will be critical to ensuring the policy’s success.
Key to its success will be continued investment in care infrastructure. Public services, such as childcare facilities and elder care, must be expanded and improved. Policymakers will need to engage with private sector stakeholders to ensure that care services are not only available but also affordable and accessible for all families.
In addition, social norms around caregiving and care work – traditionally seen as women’s work – must shift to achieve a more equal distribution of care responsibilities between men and women.
The passing of Kenya’s National Care Policy represents a significant milestone in recognizing women’s and girls’ unpaid care work and makes steps towards closing the gap in access to paid work opportunities for women, setting forward a plan to improve the availability and quality of care services.
Sarah Eckhoff is a senior advisor on the Gender Equality Team at GHV. She is currently supporting our partner, the Gender Equality Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Sarah brings experience in program quality analysis and improvement, monitoring and evaluation, accountability, learning systems, and methods, as well as end-to-end strategy development, refinement, and implementation. She has more than 15 years of deep expertise in gender equality programming and global public health and development programming.
