Kenya’s State Department of Gender and Affirmative Action has announced its intention to integrate findings from the Women RISE initiative into the National Care Policy. This policy seeks to address the disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic and care work borne by women and girls.
Women RISE, a three-year initiative managed by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC), has supported action-oriented, gender-transformative research exploring the intersection of women’s health and their paid and unpaid work within COVID-19 contexts. The initiative involved 23 research teams across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, partnering with Canadian institutions.
Speaking at the Women RISE end-of-project workshop, Dr Jackline Obonyo, Secretary of Gender, representing the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Gender and Affirmative Action, affirmed the Kenyan government’s commitment to gender equality despite challenges posed by climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic. “Findings from initiatives like Women RISE are crucial in advancing long-term, unwavering support for transformative change,” Dr Obonyo stated. “The insights gained today will significantly inform the National Care Policy, which is awaiting Cabinet approval and seeks to recognize, redistribute, and fairly compensate care work while challenging traditional gender roles.”
The 2021 Time Use Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reveals that women in Kenya spend significantly more time than men on unpaid care and domestic work, impacting their well-being. “The COVID-19 pandemic unearthed and amplified work burdens on women which has had an impact on their health,” noted Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, APHRC. “This research has provided catalyzing results that will drive decision making which will lead to transformative change.”
Four Kenyan Women RISE projects, focusing on women’s economic empowerment, access to quality health, and gender equality, align with the State Department’s priorities. “Our role in supporting the documentation and highlighting the work of the research teams has been profound,” said Professor Nancy Booker, Dean of GSMC, Aga Khan University. “This has made it easier to disseminate the findings and ultimately enlighten the public on the knowledge implicated in this research.”
Montasser Kamal, Director of Global Health at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), emphasized the importance of funding cross-sectoral collaboration and evidence-based policymaking. “This initiative has been imperative in providing context-specific solutions when it comes to the interface between women’s health and work, both paid and unpaid, pre- and post-COVID-19,” Kamal said.
About the Four Kenyan Research Teams:
• Women RISE Together Across the Life Course (Kisumu): Explores pandemic impacts on women’s health and work, advocating for gender-responsive pandemic preparedness.
• Post-COVID-19 Recovery through Agricultural Cooperatives (Kiambu, Kajiado, Taita Taveta): Empowers women through agricultural cooperatives.
• Chamas for Change (Trans Nzoia): Employs a gender-responsive, microfinance-based approach to strengthen women’s resilience to health emergencies.
• Women in Health during Emergency Preparedness and Response – WHEELER (Kilifi): Examines the economic, equity, and livelihood status of women in health during emergencies.
