By Jael Namiganda
In a bid to lessen the time women spend on un paid work, civil society organizations have joined forces to implement a three year care project to explore and test a child care model that works for poor Ugandan women operating in unstructured markets.
The project codenamed “supporting parenting care corners in markets to reduce Unpaid Care Work for vulnerable businesswomen in Uganda “ is to being implemented in markets of kalerwe, Natete, kireka, nakawa and one yet to open in mukono.
Norah Wandera the Executive Director Ace policy Research institute said that the purpose for this project is to help the lady reduce on the time they spend on unpaid work by enabling the children be away from their work and being taken care of in the care corners.
“With help from partners we are carrying out research to collect data to be presented to government, showing that with these care corners in markets, women will have a less burden by having less time on children and more on their selves and on doing things which can make money and make their homes better’’, Wandera noted.
The executive director Forum for Women in Democracy Particia Munabi Babiiha said that the unequal allocation of unpaid Care work between men and women remains a major limitation to women’s participation in the labor markets which negates efforts to reduce income and productivity inequality between men and women in Uganda.
Munabi said “Despite the attainment of substantial gains in women s leadership and economic empowerment over the past two and half decade, Uganda continues to face gender inequality in leadership and economic empowerment and the resultant outcomes’’. Women and girls spend more time on un paid domestic and care work which is valued to be 39% and 10% respectively, of the gross Domestic Product which could contribute more to the economy”.
The UN women country representative in uganda Dr. Paulina Chiwangu said that investment in the care community can yield not only progress in gender equality and development but also brings human growth and economic development thus calling on government to address the gender equality, education and equitable work.
