For over a million times, husbands have been put to test with a very big question; “What does your wife do?” In responses, theirs is bizarre and naturally an egotistical one when husbands say, “she just sits back at home doing nothing,” especially referring to those women that are not in the directly paid employment and labour force.
Others, simply refer to them as house wives. Cultural norms for example, puts the female gender, especially here in Uganda on the back page with unpaid care or domestic work as their sanctuary.
In some ethnic groups in the northern Uganda regions, women are supposed to work for their men as the latter spend time doing practically unproductive work all day. “These are just stereotypes peddled around the female gender,” Brenda Namata, a member of the Uganda Women Media Association-UMWA opines.
Women typically spend disproportionately more time on unpaid care work than men. On account of gendered social norms that view unpaid care work as a female prerogative, women across different regions, socio-economic classes and cultures spend an important part of their day on meeting the expectations of their domestic and reproductive roles. This is in addition to their paid activities for some very lucky few, thus creating the “double burden” of work for women.
All this, and that, in reference to them at home is true but has their husbands thought thoroughly for their partners doing and spending a lot time, energy, brains on work at home (Unpaid care and domestic work) while the husbands are away at either their work places or where they go rumor-mongering and spending time?
Globally, reports have shown that women spend two to ten times more time on unpaid care work than men. This unequal distribution of caring responsibilities is linked to discriminatory social institutions and stereotypes on gender roles.
Gender inequality in unpaid care work is the missing link in the analysis of gender gaps in labour outcomes, such as labour force participation, wages and job quality.
Suzan Achen, UWONET’s program officers, a visibly irate gender advocate especially in regards to the female gender says, they have developed a ‘4 Rs’ advocacy policy in trying to bridge the Unpaid care gap between women and men. When the 4 Rs are followed to the dot, the work will be easier for whoever is giving it.
“Communities, and policy makers need to know that unpaid care is actually work. The husbands too, need to understand the burden their wives go through day in and out. So unpaid care can also be redistributed involving men as well” Achen noted during a media practitioners training on unpaid care and domestic work last Friday.
She added that, “unpaid care and domestic work is a human right, not a female gender prerogative and is also an economic issue. It contributes to the well-being of the home.”
In tackling such deep-rooted gender norms and stereotypes, UWONET’s first step is in educating the husbands and policy makers (Governments) and communities in recognizing that, yes, unpaid care and domestic work is actually work.
By recognition, and change in perception on unpaid care and domestic work, the next step will be to enforce the policies by reducing such work for the female gender and also to redistribute such responsibilities for care and housework between women and the men.
In a video captured by UWONET from their many trips to trying to change unpaid care as a female gender prerogative perception, one man in the Acholi land who, over time had left domestic work to the wife noted how she had become beautiful simply because he changed perception and started helping his wife out on unpaid care and domestic work. Seems the burden was tiring out the wife and subsequently looked ugly to the man. Today they both (Husband and wife) put their energies, brains and time doing unpaid care as a couple.
What are you willing to do for your wife at home in terms of unpaid care and domestic work? Fetching water, digging, bathing a baby, washing utensils, making the bed in the morning or tiding up the house? UWONET implores you to please do something and not letting the huge burden on her weak shoulders.
Unpaid care work is both an important aspect of economic activity and an indispensable factor that contributes to the well-being of individuals, their families and societies.
Every day individuals spend time cooking, cleaning and caring for children, the ill and the elderly. Despite this importance for well-being, unpaid care work is commonly left out of policy agendas due to a common misperception that, unlike standard market work measures, it is too difficult to measure and less relevant for policies.
Yet, neglecting unpaid care work leads to incorrect inferences about levels and changes in individuals’ well-being and the value of time, which in turn limit policy effectiveness across a range of socio-economic areas, notably gender inequalities in employment and other empowerment areas.
How society and policy makers address issues concerning care has important implications for the achievement of gender equality.
They can either expand the capabilities and choices of women and men, or confine women to traditional roles associated with femininity and motherhood.
A UN report of 2013 said the unequal distribution of unpaid care work between women and men represents an infringement of women’s rights and also a brake on their economic empowerment.
This policy brief argues that gender inequality in unpaid care work is the missing link that influences gender gaps in labour outcomes. The gender gap in unpaid care work has significant implications for women’s ability to actively take part in the labour market and the type/quality of employment opportunities available to them.
Time is a limited resource, which is divided between labour and leisure, productive and reproductive activities, paid and unpaid work.
Every minute more that a woman spends on unpaid care work represents one minute less that she could be potentially spending on job market-related activities or investing in her educational and vocational skills.
Unpaid care:
For starters, Unpaid care work refers to all unpaid services provided within a household for its members, including care of persons, housework and voluntary community work.
Outsourcing unpaid care activities, such as cooking, cleaning or fetching water is not an affordable or realistic option for most women.
The household’s daily wellbeing, due to the gender related misconceptions, leaves the women to carry out these activities which is on a wrong note.
The unequal distribution of caring responsibilities between women and men within the household thus also translates into unequal opportunities in terms of time to participate equally in paid activities.
To Remunerate or Not:
These activities are considered work, because ideally one could pay a third person to perform them. Nonetheless, for Unpaid care the individual performing this activity, especially the wife is not remunerated Care.
The activity provides what is necessary for the health, well-being, maintenance, and protection of someone or something.
The activity involves mental or physical effort and is costly in terms of time resources. So, there is need to introduce what Suzan mentioned as the 5th R-Remuneration for care partner giver at home.
Suzan Achen says it would be good practice if a partner or someone giving paid care is remunerated but in Uganda it’s unfortunate that the time is not yet ripe for the same.
“People should be paid but I know that we cannot afford it. Even in the Americas/ Europe it’s the government doing it for the families,”
Firstly, the amount of time devoted to unpaid care work is negatively correlated with female labour force participation. So they are confined home for unpaid care to their partners.
Through studies and statistics, In countries where women spend an average of five hours on unpaid care activities, 50{0945c2a372ac1e8bbfe7cc3e10f9b82eb0b8ae872b07368d754f0396b6ef2afe} of women in the working age-population are active, i.e. employed or looking for a job.
However, in countries where women spend three hours on unpaid care work, 60{0945c2a372ac1e8bbfe7cc3e10f9b82eb0b8ae872b07368d754f0396b6ef2afe} of women are active in the labour force. A decrease in women’s unpaid care work is related to a ten-percentage point increase in women’s labour force participation rate.
UWONET;
Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) is an advocacy organization that exists to coordinate collective action among women’s rights and gender equality stakeholders for the attainment of gender equality and equity in Uganda.
UWONET’s strength is hinged on the diversity of expertise and experience of her membership and allies working jointly towards a Ugandan society free of gender discrimination.
It was born out of the East African Women’s Conference held in Kampala in 1993 in preparation for the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. Uganda Women’s Network membership is comprised of national Women’s organizations and individuals. UWONET is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with a Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda.
UWONET is committed to the transformation of the unequal gender relations in society and promoting networking among women and other development partners based on mutual trust and respect for one another. The Network is accountable to its members, partners, and stakeholders. It is also highly participatory in decision-making and operations.
Author Profile
- Mr. Daniels N. Tatya is an affluent Sports Writer, Commentator and Editor. His over 15 years of covering almost major sporting events makes him a revered and an authority on investigative Sports journalism in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected] +256(0)758268315
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