Inside historic National Care Policy and what it means for unpaid care work
Anne Wang'ombe, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action during an interview at her office in Teleposta Towers, Nairobi on November 5, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Kenya is set to become the second African nation to implement a National Care Policy, addressing the longstanding issue of unpaid domestic and care work predominantly performed by women and girls.
- The groundbreaking policy, currently awaiting Cabinet approval, aims to recognise, redistribute, and properly compensate care work while challenging traditional gender roles.
- The initiative promises to establish well-equipped childcare centers, elderly care facilities, and training programs for caregivers.
Kenya’s forthcoming National Care Policy represents a bold step towards addressing the inequalities associated with unpaid care and domestic work. With the policy currently in development, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, Anne Wang'ombe, and Director for the Socio-economic Empowerment Directorate, Grace Wasike, tell Nation.Africa why this initiative is timely and necessary.
Why is now the right time to establish the policy?
We are proud to be the second country in Africa, after Guinea-Bissau, to develop a national care policy. We have involved both state and non-state actors in its development, creating a national steering committee for this purpose. The policy is now at the stage where it is set to be presented before the Cabinet for approval, having already been submitted to our Prime Cabinet Secretary, who is acting as Cabinet Secretary in the absence of a permanent appointment. He is currently reviewing it.
The National Care Policy is crucial for this country, as many nations have historically overlooked care work, despite its significant contributions to the economy and society. It is important to highlight that unpaid care work is predominantly undertaken by women and girls, as traditional associations link unpaid care work to femininity. When we refer to unpaid care work, we are discussing tasks such as cleaning, fetching water, caring for the elderly and the sick, and looking after children. For far too long, society has failed to acknowledge the significance of this unpaid care work.
As the State Department for Gender, we believe it is high time to develop this National Care Policy to address various issues. One of its key objectives is to recognise and value this unpaid work. Many people fail to appreciate the immense effort involved in unpaid care work, which is vital for the well-being of society. If, for example, a person goes to work burdened by unpaid responsibilities, their productivity may suffer, placing them at risk of losing their job. Thus, we must first recognise the value of care workers.
Why is it important to redistribute care work?
As I mentioned earlier, unpaid care work is predominantly performed by women and girls, often sacrificing their time for education or paid employment. This disadvantage in empowerment perpetuates inequality. It is essential to redistribute this work. When assigning tasks, it is vital to distribute responsibilities fairly between daughters and sons.
As women engage in housework and other unpaid tasks, it is imperative that men also participate. We must also reduce the burden associated with care work. For instance, access to clean water and energy should be made easier, allowing women to spend less time on such tasks. We advocate for improved facilities and labour-saving technologies to alleviate the workload.
How can care work be better rewarded?
Given that unpaid care work is often unpaid or inadequately compensated, there is a pressing need for appropriate remuneration for this work. We also emphasise the need for representation, ensuring that care workers have a voice in decision-making processes. This will facilitate the development of policies sensitive to the realities of unpaid care work.
Does the policy address negative attitudes towards care work?
Yes, the policy addresses negative attitudes by aiming to change the entrenched cultural and traditional norms that confine unpaid work to women. For instance, in families where there is a significant burden due to illness or elderly care, it is often girls who are removed from school to handle these responsibilities. We must stop this practice, as it deprives girls of educational and employment opportunities.
We advocate for the establishment of well-equipped childcare centres where children can be cared for safely, enabling women to work productively and contribute economically to their families. Many women leave the workforce due to childcare responsibilities, so addressing this issue is critical.
We also emphasise the importance of proper care facilities for the elderly, ensuring they are adequately equipped and that staff are properly trained to provide quality care. Additionally, we aim to ensure that domestic workers are also properly trained, their work respected, and appropriately remunerated.
What is the government or the department currently doing to reduce inequalities in time use?
The National Care Policy aligns with the Constitution of Kenya 2010, particularly Article 27, which covers non-discrimination and equality. The Constitution outlines the rights of children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, guiding us in our approach to these vulnerable groups. We also adhere to International Labour Organisation conventions, such as C111, which targets the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation.
Since most unpaid care work occurs within households and the informal sector — both of which fall outside direct government regulation — the policy seeks to address these challenges through advocacy and a shift in public mind-set. We will collaborate with households to influence their attitudes toward care work.
Grace Wasike Director, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, during an interview at her office in Teleposta Towers, Nairobi on November 5, 2024.
Which sectors do you target to implement this policy?
We plan to collaborate with various stakeholders, including government departments responsible for vulnerable populations targeted by the policy: children, persons with disabilities, the terminally ill, the elderly, and domestic workers.
We will also engage with the private sector, particularly those providing care homes and childcare centres, as many care facilities are managed privately. Our expectation is to establish regulatory standards for this sector once the policy is in effect.
The Constitution assigns the function of childcare to county governments, making them central players in this policy's implementation. Through their designated roles, counties bear the crucial responsibility of supporting and executing these childcare initiatives effectively. This constitutional mandate positions them as key partners in ensuring the successful rollout and sustainability.
How will you measure the success of the implementation of the policy?
The success will be measured through two key indicators. First, we will track economic growth driven by a more vibrant productive sector, as people shift their time from unpaid labour to formal work. Second, we will monitor the integration of care work into national accounts, marking its recognition as a legitimate contributor to economic growth.
We will track gender parity by monitoring girls' enrolment and academic performance compared to boys in educational institutions. The success of our caregiver training programs, particularly in areas like elderly care, will be measured by completion rates.
Additionally, our new focus extends to the wellbeing of caregivers themselves, shifting from our previous emphasis solely on care recipients. The effective utilisation of our proposed caregiver support fund will serve as a crucial indicator of the policy's success in addressing the needs of these essential workers, many of whom provide round-the-clock care.
What challenges do you anticipate in the policy rollout?
The implementation faces several significant challenges, with funding requirements and deeply-rooted socio-cultural norms being primary concerns. Establishing government care facilities will require substantial financial investment, while counties will need resources to set up their own care centres and maintain updated data systems for vulnerable groups.
Although the Health Act 2017 mandates nursing stations in workplaces, progress has been slow. We aim to accelerate the establishment of childcare facilities in institutions to support working parents. Another critical challenge is funding public care systems, particularly for costly assistive devices for persons with disabilities. Through this policy, we aim to enhance independence for disabled individuals, reducing their need for constant care support.
Despite these challenges, we remain confident in achieving successful policy implementation.
