Addis Ababa:Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called for increased investment in Africa's care economy. She emphasized the potential benefits of such investments, including boosting employment, growing economies, and advancing gender equality.
According to South African Government News Agency, Chikunga spoke at the 11th Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Ministerial Meeting at the African Union Headquarters. The session coincided with the International Day of Care and Support. She highlighted the importance of investing in care services and infrastructure to address the disproportionate burden of unpaid care shouldered by women and girls while creating decent work opportunities.
Chikunga pointed out the significant economic contributions of unpaid care work, which largely remain unrecognized in public policies and budgets. She cited estimates valuing unpaid care and domestic work at substantial percentages of GDP in various African countries, such as 23.1% in Kenya and 34.5% in Morocco.
She advocated for improved investment in essential services and infrastructure like water, sanitation, clean energy, and healthcare. Such investments could reduce time spent on unpaid care, improve access to education and employment, and create jobs in related sectors.
The Minister also stressed the importance of improving conditions for paid care workers, who often face low wages and inadequate social protection. She underscored the necessity of a care economy built on protected and dignified labor to deliver quality care and inclusive development.
Chikunga announced that South Africa is promoting the Common African Position on Care Work, aligned with the International Labour Organisation's 5 Rs Framework, to guide policy development and mobilize sustainable investments in care systems. The framework seeks to recognize, reduce, and redistribute care responsibilities, reward paid care workers, and ensure their representation in decision-making.
She urged for these commitments to be supported by domestic resource mobilization, gender-responsive budgeting, and sustainable financing. Chikunga called on various stakeholders to collaborate in translating commitments into action through coordinated policies and stronger accountability.
Emphasizing the need to challenge social norms, she advocated for more equitable sharing of care responsibilities between men and women, including through parental leave and family-friendly workplace policies. She concluded by highlighting the essential role of transforming the care economy in advancing women's economic empowerment and sustainable growth across the continent.