Zimbabwe Delegation represented by Honourable Maybe Mbohwa (second from right) and other officials
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
A side event at the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) Conference in Senegal is expected to strengthen efforts towards the recognition, redistribution and reduction of unpaid care work (UCDW) in Zimbabwe, Benin and Kenya.
The side event, being held from July 28 to 30, is being hosted by the #AfricaCaresForHer consortium, a joint initiative of the Women’s Academy For Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) Zimbabwe, WOW Mom-Kenya and Le Consortium Régional en Économie Générationnelle (CREG)-Benin.
The meeting brings together policymakers, researchers, economists and development practitioners to discuss care work and the need for public investment.
One of the key expected outcomes is increased understanding and use of National Transfer Accounts data by policymakers as a tool to advocate for UCDW policies and legislation.
And the data is expected to help strengthen the economic case for laws and public investment aimed at addressing unpaid care work.
The side event is also expected to document model clauses and legislative pathways for UCDW laws, drawing on experiences from the three countries.
This is also expected to provide policymakers with practical approaches that can help advance legislation on unpaid care work.
Another key outcome is public commitments from policymakers to ensure that UCDW laws are enacted and operationalised in Zimbabwe, Benin and Kenya.
The meeting also seeks to develop a joint action plan with clear timelines for operationalising UCDW legislation in the three countries.
The side event comes after two years of work by the #AfricaCaresForHer partners, with support from IDRC, to engage policymakers and position care work as a public good that deserves public investment.
According to the consortium, advocacy has helped shift narratives and secure political will in Kenya, while Zimbabwe and Benin are yet to enact formal UCDW legislation.
The meeting is therefore providing an opportunity for policymakers from the three countries to share strategies, challenges and lessons from their advocacy for UCDW laws.
The side event is also expected to help build a community of practice of political champions committed to tabling and passing UCDW laws.
About 100 policymakers attending the NTA Conference are targeted to participate, including Mayors and County officials, alongside researchers, IDRC, UN Women, the AU Gender Directorate, care economy representatives and civil society organisations.
