Recognizing, Reducing, and Rewarding Unpaid Care Work in Central Africa

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM (WAT)
Format: Zoom Online (Register now)

Background and Rationale

Unpaid care work—including childcare, elder care, care for persons with disabilities, and domestic labor—forms the backbone of households and economies across Central Africa. Yet this work remains largely invisible in economic statistics, undervalued in public policy, and disproportionately borne by women and girls. As a result, unpaid care work constrains women’s labor force participation, limits income generation, and reinforces gender inequality across education, health, and employment outcomes.

In Central Africa, demographic pressures, urbanization, limited public care infrastructure, and fragile social protection systems have intensified reliance on unpaid care. Women often shoulder extended care responsibilities in contexts of poverty, conflict, and weak service delivery, further restricting their access to formal employment and decent work. These dynamics have significant macroeconomic consequences, including lower productivity, reduced tax bases, and persistent gender gaps in employment and earnings.

Globally, there is growing recognition that addressing unpaid care work is not only a gender equity imperative but also a development and growth strategy. Frameworks promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Women, and the World Bank emphasize the “3Rs” approach—Recognize, Reduce, and Redistribute—as a pathway to transform care systems, expand decent work opportunities, and strengthen social protection.

This webinar aims to situate unpaid care work firmly within Central Africa’s development, labor, and social policy agendas. By bringing together policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and development partners, the discussion will explore practical strategies to recognize unpaid care work, reduce the burden on women, and reward care through formal employment, social protection, and public investment.

Objectives of the Webinar

The webinar seeks to:

• Highlight the scale, value, and gendered nature of unpaid care work in Central Africa.
• Examine how unpaid care work affects women’s labor market participation and economic empowerment.
• Explore policy options to reduce unpaid care burdens through public services, infrastructure, and social protection.
• Discuss pathways to reward care work through formalization, decent jobs, and labor protections.
• Foster dialogue on integrating care economy reforms into national development and employment strategies.

Target Audience

• Policymakers and government officials
• Gender and labor market experts
• Civil society and women’s rights organizations
• Development partners and donors
• Think tank researchers and academics
• Students and practitioners interested in gender, work, and social policy

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the webinar, participants are expected to:

• Gain a clearer understanding of unpaid care work and its economic significance in Central Africa.
• Identify policy gaps and opportunities to address care-related inequalities.
• Learn from comparative approaches and emerging best practices.
• Strengthen networks among stakeholders working on gender, labor, and social protection.
• Contribute to evidence-informed advocacy on the care economy and women’s economic empowerment.

About the Nkafu Policy Institute

The Nkafu Policy Institute of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation is a leading independent African policy research institution with vision to accelerate Africa’s Economic Transformation. It drives Africa’s prosperity through evidence-informed policymaking, enabling all citizens to thrive in free, fair, democratic, and flourishing economies. Through rigorous analysis, high-impact publications, and inclusive dialogue, Nkafu promotes practical reforms that strengthen governance and enhance Africa’s development trajectory.