According to the ILO, women in Africa  spend 3.4 more time in unpaid care work than men. Without addressing the heavy and unequal unpaid care work, it will be near impossible to close the gender gap in the continent.

Lack of infrastructure like household water sources/electricity increases women's unpaid care work. Oxfam's findings from Kenya, Uganda & Zimbabwe showed that access to improved water sources reduced women's time in unpaid care by 1-4 hrs. PER DAY.

Social norms mean women are expected to do the majority of care work and household chores, resulting in little opportunities outside the home. Women must have the same opportunities as men in decision-making and how they choose to spend their time.

Change starts at home. Men and boys have a key role to play in ensuring a more equal sharing of unpaid care work within households.

Addressing unpaid care work requires a combination of interventions to create lasting change for women and girls. The most effective solutions combine care-supporting infrastructure or services together with social norms interventions.

Working with male ‘care champions’, such as cultural or religious leaders, has helped to cascade messages and provide positive examples, challenging existing social norms and limiting perceptions of masculinity.

If women and girls' time was freed from too much and too heavy care work, they will have more choice to engage in paid work, go to school, rest, or join community and political activities. Contribution to society will even be greater.

Addressing heavy and unequal unpaid care domestic work means ensuring a safer, more equal future for women and girls, regardless of where they come from or what their economic status is.