Women and girls in Kenya, particularly in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), face the disproportionate share of unpaid care work. Unpaid care work ranges from: childcare, collecting firewood, cooking, taking care of sick family members or the elderly in the family among others. Childcare stands out as one of the main sources of unpaid care work for most women.
More women compared to men, spend an excessive amount of time on unpaid childcare. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenyan women spend four to five hours on unpaid care work in a day as compared to men who spend approximately one hour. As a result, the economic growth and well-being of these women is hampered.
To address this challenge, the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development (IHD) launched the Catalyzing Care Innovations in Marginalized and Vulnerable Communities of Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (CARE FOR ALL) project that is being implemented in Isiolo and Lamu counties.
“Isiolo and Lamu counties form part of Kenya’s ASAL regions, where economic challenges, low access to quality early childhood development services and cultural norms among other factors often contribute to the inequitable distribution of caregiving responsibilities,” said Linet Kaloki, ECD Technical Specialist, IHD.
Funded by International Development for Research Centre (IDRC), the CARE FOR ALL project seeks to understand the factors contributing to unpaid care and identify pathways for reducing and redistributing this work. Through this project, IHD is working with partners to initiate possible actions to support mothers with childcare, allowing them to participate in economic and leisure activities. The project also seeks to create opportunities for their education, employment, and overall empowerment, thus contributing to broader societal progress and development in ASAL regions.
“Provision of quality childcare and ECD centres can provide a place where women can leave their children and have time to engage in other economic and recreational activities,” said Prof Amina Abubakar, IHD Director. “Quality childcare and ECD centres can also be a source of economic empowerment for women and contribute towards enhancing childrens’ health, school readiness and general well-being. IHD would like to contribute towards setting up quality ECD & day care centres through the "CARE FOR ALL" project.”
Ultimately, the project hopes to break the cycle of poverty faced by women and girls in this region, enhance their health and well-being, foster economic growth and advance gender equality.
