Government formulating new policy to address unpaid domestic and care work among women and girls

The government plans to incorporate the findings of the Women Rise initiative in formulating the Kenya National Care Policy in to address the longstanding issue of unpaid domestic and care work predominantly performed by women and girls.

Speaking during the opening of the end of project workshop, Gender Secretary Dr Josephine Obonyo said that despite the triple threats of climate change, conflict, and COVID-19 slowing progress on gender equality, the commitment to improving women’s rights remains strong.

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in collaboration with the Aga Khan University, will be releasing the findings of a three-year study focusing on gender-transformative research examining the intersection of women’s health and work (both paid and unpaid) in the context of COVID-19 preparedness, response, and recovery.

This research has contributed to key policy formulations and is part of Women Rise, a three-year initiative that brought together 23 research teams from Africa, Latin America, and Asia in partnership with Canadian institutions. The initiative, managed by APHRC and the Graduate School of Media and Communications at Aga Khan University, supports four projects in Kenya that align with the government’s priorities on women’s economic empowerment, access to quality healthcare for women and promotion of gender equality.

Kenya is among the 23 research locations and has four research projects under the Women Rise. The first is Women Rise Together Across the Life Course (Kisumu County). This is led by the COHESU Community Health Support Program, the County Health Department, and the University of Waterloo. It explores how the pandemic has impacted women’s health and work, advocating for gender-sensitive pandemic preparedness and response strategies.

The second one is Women’s Involvement in Post-COVID-19 Recovery Through Agricultural Cooperatives (Kiambu, Kajiado, and Taita Taveta counties). This is implemented by The Co-operative University of Kenya and the University of the Fraser Valley. The project focuses on catalyzing women’s participation in economic recovery through agricultural cooperatives.

The third one examines how women’s financial empowerment through community savings groups can enhance resilience to health emergencies. It is the Chamas For Change: A Gender-Responsive, Microfinance-Based Approach to Empowering Women (Trans Nzoia County) which is led by Moi University College of Health Science and the University of British Columbia.

Finally, there is Women in Health and Their Economic, Equity, and Livelihood Statuses During Emergency Preparedness and Response (Kilifi County). It is conducted by the Aga Khan University and the University of Manitoba. It aims to evaluate the economic and social conditions of women working in healthcare, particularly in emergency contexts.

Prof Nancy Booker, Dean Graduate School of Media and Communications, Aga Khan University said, “As Aga Khan University, our role in supporting the documentation and highlighting the work the research teams have been doing has been profound. We have been helping to deconstruct the research by making it palatable for different stakeholders in the various geographies and documenting the research work which provides great credibility to the work that has been done. This has made it easier to disseminate the findings and ultimately enlighten the public on the knowledge that has implicated in this research,”  

Montasser Kamal, the Director of Global Health, International Development Research Centre, said funding scientific cross-sectorial collaboration and evidence is important in advancing policies based on evidence. He added that the initiative has been imperative in providing context-specific solutions when it comes to the interface between women’s health and work, both paid and unpaid pre and post the COVID-19 pandemic.