Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have decried the increasing burden of unpaid care work on women and girls in Uganda, which hinders their participation in development activities.
During her opening remarks at the high-level dialogue to disseminate the end-line findings of a project on shifting social norms on unpaid care and domestic work, Juliet Were, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), noted that the continued prevalence of unpaid care work in Uganda has left many women unable to engage in social, economic, and political development affairs.
She emphasized that women and girls globally shoulder 75% of unpaid work, yet their efforts often go unrecognized and undervalued.
“According to a survey conducted by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics 2017, women said 6.6 hours each day was unpaid care activities. As a result, they missed out on participating in elective leadership, education, paid work, entrepreneurship, health care, and many other development engagements,” she said.
Uganda joined the world in commemorating the International Day of Care and Support on October 29, 2024.
