Coupling Unpaid Care Domestic Work with Local Development Agenda for Improved Care Systems in Ethiopia

Women in Ethiopia bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work, averaging 13 hours a day. A recent time-use survey by the Central Statistical Agency underscores how the unequal burden of care affects women’s access to education, paid employment and public engagement. Poor and marginalized women, girls, and households headed by single women are most heavily impacted.

Misconceptions around care work

Although the government has promoted gender mainstreaming, particularly in pro-poor sectors, implementing this has fallen short. This is due to misconceptions around care and gender justice, lack of ownership of policy and strategies that include all gender issues and concerns within government, and general neglect of gender mainstreaming’s role in enhancing efficiency and growth.

Including care in gender mainstreaming

This project will review national policies, conduct consultations and involve civil society to support the development of guidelines for including unpaid care considerations in the government’s gender mainstreaming efforts. In collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, it will focus on key pro-poor government sectors to assess and guide their gender-mainstreaming policies and practices. It will also document and highlight the lost opportunities of not recognizing and addressing the disproportionate responsibility of unpaid care work shouldered by women and girls. It will also document and highlight the lost opportunities of not recognizing and addressing the disproportionate responsibility of unpaid care work shouldered by women and girls.