Covid-19 home care overburdens women

Covid-19: Kenya cases cross 6,000 mark

What you need to know:

  • Home care expands the bandwidth of unpaid care most women handling now.
  • Sixty seven per cent of sampled women from informal settlements reported an increase in domestic work against 51 per cent for men.
  • Of the people who lost jobs between March and May, women constituted 51.2 per cent.
  • Even before Covid-19, women spent nearly three times the hours men donated to unpaid care in  households.
  • The hours women spend on care work denies them  opportunity to improve their socio-economic wellbeing.
  • Beyond Covid-19, female-headed households  likely to suffer more due to loss of income.
  • Pushing for a policy on redistribution of care without engaging men, an exercise in futility.

The Ministry of Health has opted for home-based care for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. This expands the bandwidth of unpaid care most women handling now, apart from their distress over lost incomes.

A study by Population Council in April, 2020, using data from five informal settlements in Nairobi County, found a higher increase in housework among women than men.

Sixty seven per cent of sampled women from Kibra, Huruma, Kariobangi, Dandora and Mathare slums reported an increase in domestic work against 51 per cent for men.

Meanwhile, Survey on Socio-economic Impact of Covid-19 on Households Report by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, shows that of the people who lost jobs between March and May, women constituted 51.2 per cent.

And while the government seeks to offload health facilities of patients with mild symptoms, the burden of care will fall into the hands of jobless women or those working from home, heavily affecting their productivity.

“Who is going to take care of them (Covid-19 patients)? It is the women,” said Dr Patricia Kitsao, a child development researcher at African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) during a webinar on Covid-19 and the Care Economy in the Global South early this month.

She said home-based care will overburden women already weighed down with additional care work and stress from lost jobs.

UNPAID CARE

Even before Covid-19, women spent nearly three times the hours men donated to unpaid care in the households.

In a day, women spent up to 11.1 hours on domestic work unlike the 2.9 hours men donated to similar duties, showed the study - Gendered Patterns on Unpaid Care and Domestic Work in the Urban Informal Settlements of Nairobi by Oxfam Kenya.

Dr Kitsao said the many hours women spend on care work is denying them the opportunity to improve their socio-economic wellbeing.

As a result, they are unable to achieve better life goals spelt out under Sustainable Development Goals three, four and eight relating to health, education and decent work and economic growth, she said.

She proposed the setting up of childcare centres in informal settlements to meet the needs of mothers in casual jobs.

“This will enable women to access education facilities to improve their skills,” she said during the webinar organised by Women’s Empowerment in Development Lab at McGill University.

Beyond Covid-19, female-headed households are likely to suffer more due to loss of income with the children bearing the brunt.

“There are women who have lost jobs yet they are the breadwinners. They are much stressed,” she said.

CHILDCARE SERVICES

“This is affecting their caregiving ability and after Covid-19, we shall witness negative impacts on their well-being and under-five children in need of primary care.”

Founder of Kidogo Early Years Sabrina Habib, said women are in need of subsided childcare services, which the government can offer to free their time for paid work.

“Childcare is a public good. It is something the government should provide,” said the founder of the social enterprise that provides affordable childcare and education in informal settlements in East Africa.

She noted that more research should be done to show its importance to secure the government’s buy-in.

For employers to boost their female employees’ productivity, provision of childcare services ought to be a priority, she said.

Head of Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit in Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ms Margaret Namirembe, said pushing for a policy on redistribution of care without engaging men, would be an exercise in futility.

“We have to agree that majority of the policymakers are men. So how are you going to have discussions on redistribution of care work without them?” she wondered.

“Redistribution of care work has to happen, but we must find out what gender roles can be redistributed.”