By Naomi Cheruiyot
October 27, 2025
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Gender advocates and development partners in Uasin Gishu County are calling for urgent recognition of unpaid care work (UCW) as a major contributor to Kenya’s economy and a barrier to women’s economic participation.
Speaking during a community sensitisation forum organised by SDGs Kenya in partnership with the Uasin Gishu County Directorate of Gender, John Otieno from SDGs Kenya said the burden of unpaid care work continues to limit women’s access to paid employment and business opportunities.
“Women spend nearly five times more hours on unpaid care work than men, the equivalent of losing 196 working days every year. This is not just a gender issue, it’s an economic one,” said Otieno.
County Director of Gender, Betsy Chepkemoi, noted that most women’s time is consumed by child-rearing, home care, and attending to the sick and elderly, leaving little opportunity for economic growth.
“Care work is the backbone of our homes and communities. It must be recognised, supported, and shared fairly between men and women,” she said.
Unpaid care work’s contribution to Kenya’s GDP
According to a report discussed at the forum, unpaid care work contributes an estimated 39.9 per cent of Kenya’s GDP, yet remains uncounted in national statistics. The study by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and UN Women shows that Kenyan women spend an average of 4 hours and 38 minutes daily on unpaid work compared to 1 hour for men.
Chepkemoi said Uasin Gishu County is aligning its efforts with the National Care Policy (NCP), which follows the International Labour Organisation’s “5Rs Framework” — Recognise, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent care work.
“Investing in childcare centres, clean water, and reliable energy directly supports women’s economic empowerment and county development,” she added.
Otieno urged both national and county governments to expand subsidised childcare and care infrastructure, noting that such initiatives have increased women’s employment rates by up to 17 per cent in pilot projects.
Community members participating in the session noted that many rural women in Uasin Gishu face acute “time poverty” due to the lack of basic amenities and echoed the call, highlighting the heavy “time poverty” faced by rural women.
“We spend hours fetching water and caring for our families, leaving no time to work or train,” said a participant from Kesses.
The meeting ended with a call for joint action from all sectors to recognise care work as essential labour.
“When we invest in the care economy, we invest in productivity and family well-being,” Otieno said.
Tools and skills used in developing this story are courtesy of training by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television – Kenya Chapter (IAWRT-KE) in partnership with Google News Initiative which the writer recently participated in.
