A new study by the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR-Rwanda), highlights the urgent need for policy reforms and interventions to address the unequal burden of unpaid care work in Rwanda.
Revealed during the 11th Annual Research Conference on March 27, the study advocates for recognition, reduction, and redistribution of unpaid care responsibilities as crucial steps towards achieving gender equity and empowering women.
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The study, conducted in six districts in Rwanda, examined various aspects, including the total weekly hours worked by men and women. It found that women in rural areas spend an average of six hours per day on unpaid care work, compared to just two hours for those in urban areas. In contrast, men allocate only one hour to similar tasks.
Overall, the study indicates that women work a total of 75.6 hours per week, with a significant portion dedicated to unpaid care work. In contrast, men work 66.4 hours per week, with fewer hours allocated to unpaid care work and more time available for leisure activities.
According to Eugenie Kayitesi, the Executive Director of IPAR Rwanda, the study aims to inform policy and support the scaling up of successful interventions for unpaid care work.
She said the findings seek to serve as instruments for discussion and recommendations on reducing and redistributing unpaid care work.
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Kayitesi highlighted that the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work on women impacts their empowerment and participation in society and the economy, emphasising the importance of recognising and addressing unpaid care work to achieve gender equality and economic empowerment for women.
"Unpaid care work also includes voluntary community work, which includes keeping, cleaning, washing clothes, water, fuel collection, and caring for elderly and sick at home," she said.
"Women work more than men on average. They perform at least two and half times more at pre-care and domestic work than men. This unequal distribution of responsibility for unpaid care work, therefore, impacts everyone on women's empowerment and full participation in society and the economy by limiting their economic opportunities and power within households."
By implementing gender-responsive policies, investing in labour-saving technologies, and promoting shared caregiving responsibilities, the new study shows that Rwanda can stride towards creating a more equitable society for all its citizens.
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Silas Ngayaboshya, the Director General of Gender Promotion and Women Empowerment at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, emphasised the significance of unpaid care work in achieving gender equality and inclusive development.
Drawing attention to the disparities in unpaid care work between genders, Ngayaboshya said there is a need for urgent action and collaboration across various sectors to address the issue.
He underscored the importance of leveraging research findings and policy frameworks to inform interventions at both the policy and grassroots levels.
"We have to challenge ourselves to do things differently and with a sense of urgency and quality," he said. "It is evident that unpaid care work predominantly carried out by women and girls encompasses a spectrum of domestic and community tasks that often go under-recognised and undervalued hindering progress towards gender equality."
Ngayaboshya also highlighted initiatives aimed at engaging men and boys in gender equality efforts and urged for tangible actions to translate insights into impactful measures.
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Other findings of the research highlight the persistent challenges faced by women in shouldering the burden of UCW and the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address this issue and promote gender equity.
The data also reveals concerning trends in gender dynamics and control within households. Several husbands exhibit controlling behaviour towards their wives, with nearly 68 per cent engaging in at least one form of controlling behaviour. This behaviour includes limiting the wife's contact with her family, insisting on knowing her whereabouts at all times, and not trusting her with money.
Furthermore, societal norms and expectations were found to contribute to the unequal distribution of unpaid care work, with nearly 50 per cent of women and men endorsing a gendered division of labour, a mind-set that is said to perpetuate the idea that women should prioritise unpaid care work over paid employment, further entrenching gender inequalities.
