BY EPRC
Juliet Namusoke, a dedicated mother of four, commences her day at 4 a.m. every morning. With her six-month-old baby securely fastened to her back, she makes her way to the bustling Mpigi market.
Her mission: to connect with grocery wholesalers and purchase fresh fruits for her stall. This endeavor isn’t just a means of livelihood; it’s the lifeline that allows her to support her three children, ensuring they have access to education and are well-dressed.
However, Juliet’s daily responsibilities don’t conclude with her business ventures. There’s a significant load of housework to attend to, encompassing cooking, laundry, and the essential task of fetching water. While she yearns for some assistance, her aspirations are hindered by the formidable barrier of affordability.
Her husband’s limited contributions further compound the situation, influenced by prevailing norms and cultural values.“My husband does not contribute much, which is why I rise early to secure extra income for my children’s education and clothing. I’d greatly appreciate some household assistance, but the cost is prohibitive,” Juliet shares.
A striking gender imbalance characterizes the division of labor in Uganda, where women and girls spend shoulder twice the burden of unpaid care work compared to men and boys. It’s a stark contrast; while men dedicate at least seven hours to paid employment, women are confined to five hours.
A survey conducted by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) across four Ugandan districts, including Pallisa, Mpigi, Mbarara, and Masindi, underscores the disproportionate share of unpaid care work shouldered by women. The survey is part of EPRC’s research project titled “From Promises to Action: shifting gender norms and Public Perceptions about Unpaid Care Work in Workplaces and Families in Uganda.
This project aspires to:
- Map out Gender Social Norms and perceptions regarding Unpaid Care Work (UCW) at the family, community, and institutional levels, informing necessary interventions to alleviate the overwhelming care burden on women.
- Evaluate the effectiveness and adaptability of the POWER model for addressing UCW, exploring the modifications required to tackle this issue.
- Offer insights for policy and community actions aimed at eradicating harmful social and gender norms related to UCW, and scaling up initiatives to effect change.
This research project endeavors to challenge and transform the existing norms and perceptions that perpetuate the unequal distribution of care work in Uganda, striving for a more equitable and balanced future.
The EPRC has implemented a series of strategic interventions designed to shift the deeply ingrained social and gender norms that perpetuate the burden of unpaid care work. Among these initiatives are proactive awareness campaigns aimed at combating detrimental gender and social norms, which disproportionately affect women and contribute to the weight of unpaid care work.
Kakuru Medard, a Research Analyst at EPRC, expounds on these efforts. He underscores the utilization of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) as a pivotal tool. Through these VSLAs, EPRC effectively targets women with the overarching goal of instilling the principles of the POWER model.
The core objective is to foster an understanding within families about the inherent unfairness embedded in the unequal distribution of unpaid care work. This, in turn, paves the way for transformative change within the community.
In the POWER model,
- P-stands for promoting women’s and girls’ empowerment through economic, social and political ways.
- O-stands for organizing and engaging men to challenge some of the gender and cultural norms that affect women by being advocates for their fellow men and boys.
- W-stands for working at the community level by engaging everyone in the community through dialogue and activism
- E-stands for engaging local leaders and councilors whenever they get opportunities to speak to the public through different platforms, while
- R-stands for recognition or raising awareness which is followed by reduction and redistribution of workload.
“The model has been successfully used to address gender-based violence, and since it has worked, we adopted it for the unpaid care model with each word standing as an intervention,” explains Medard.
EPRC conducted two impact assessments that revealed positive feedback in the districts where their interventions were implemented.
The ongoing awareness campaign is beginning to yield results. Medard notes, “Some men are now helping and getting involved with some housework like carrying babies, weeding crops, and fetching firewood and water, which shows redistribution of work.”
In the research districts, the project has also contributed to a reduction in gender-based violence. The local communities have been educated on the detrimental impacts of gender-based violence on families.
Ayebare Ronard, an EPRC trainee and activist, shares a positive change within communities in Bugalama village in Bushenyi District, despite initial hesitancy among some men due to cultural beliefs.
He explains, “It was difficult with men at first because of our culture and beliefs. But after the training, which was primarily conducted through gatherings to train both men and women on how to make soap, men realized that responsibility sharing not only simplifies the work but also speeds it up.”
Following the training, Ronard visited several homes and found that men and women were sharing the workload. Men were involved in fetching water, carrying babies, and gathering firewood, while women reported reduced conflicts at home and participation in decision-making.
Policymakers have taken notice of the GrOW EA’s work in Uganda. Angella Nakafeero, the Commissioner for Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, recognizes the positive impact of the GrOW EA Unpaid Care Work Project on communities.
She comments, “The positive changes are being misunderstood by both men and women, which suggests that we need to make a deliberate effort to prepare men and boys, women, and girls for what we are witnessing. This will ease resistance on either side.”
Merdard, EPRC’s Research Analyst, acknowledges that the biggest challenge, especially among men, is the social stigma rooted in their patriarchal background. “The willingness to change is there, but the fear of what other men or people in communities will say is still holding them back. Additionally, there’s a prevailing belief that when a woman stays home, they have the obligation to do all the unpaid work.”
Clearly, addressing cultural norms and traditions remains crucial in rectifying the imbalance in unpaid care work, which perpetuates the economic disempowerment of women like Juliet Namusoke.
EPRC’s research work is funded by Canada’s International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) under the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) East Africa initiative.
Kakuru Medard, EPRC Research Analyst.