Unpaid but essential: How women’s care work powers Mali’s economy

Unpaid care and domestic work, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for children, are the invisible threads that hold families and societies together. While these tasks are crucial for the well-being and productivity of society, they are often dismissed as "just part of life" and left out of economic calculations. And yet, without this unpaid labour and domestic work, everything else would grind to a halt. 

Think about the daily responsibilities that keep a household running smoothly: making sure children are fed and ready for school, taking care of a sick relative, or simply keeping the home clean. These tasks are the invisible labour that allows others to go to work, children to learn, and communities to thrive. However, when these tasks fall disproportionately on women and girls, it limits their opportunities to pursue paid work, education, or leisure time.  

In many societies around the world, such as Mali’s, unpaid care and housework are not shared equally within families. Women often spend several hours a day on these chores while simultaneously trying to hold down a job. Tackling the inequality and poverty that women and girls face means first recognizing the value of unpaid care and domestic work and acknowledging the hidden economy that powers our daily lives. According to the ILO, investing in care could create nearly 300 million jobs by 2035. This would not only boost global employment but also generate more tax revenue to support initiatives that support families and social protection policies that boost equality. 

In Mali, 80 per cent of unpaid labour is shouldered by women. This unfair distribution of domestic and care tasks is fuelling inequality in Mali with women spending up to 24.7 hours per week on these tasks, compared to just 6 hours for men. The main tasks that women take on are linked to caregiving and household tasks, but even in tasks where men are more involved, such as shopping or fetching firewood, women’s contributions still exceed those of men.

This inequality starts early in life, with girls often spending nearly three times more on care responsibilities than boys. The pattern continues as girls grow older – by the time they reach 33, on average, a woman spends on average 5.7 hours doing unpaid care work every week. After the age of 34, a woman's involvement in unpaid care duties often decreases, as she transfers these responsibilities to younger household members, particularly girls. This cycle negatively affects girls' access to education in Mali. In 2020, only 1 girl in 4 (25 per cent) was enrolled in secondary school, compared to 31 per cent of boys, leading to lifelong impacts on literacy and economic prospects. The long-term effects are stark, with less than one-third of women able to read a simple sentence, compared to nearly 43.5 per cent of men.

Fostering change in Mali and many other regions where women have traditionally assumed most unpaid care work has its challenges, including resistance to cultural change and the absence of alternative care services.

The economic potential of unpaid care and domestic work is immense. UN Women’s study in Mali revealed that if we were to value unpaid care and domestic work, men's contributions would amount to an average of 55,958 FCFA (95.51 USD) in 2019, while women's annual contributions would be 168,846 FCFA (288.18 USD). If this labour were included in economic calculations, it would represent 22.3 per cent (3.6 billion USD) of the nation's GDP, with women accounting for 17.6 per cent alone.  

When deep diving into the various types of unpaid care work the insights are more nuanced. For example, direct care, such as childcare, care of older people, and support for sick or disabled family members, constitutes approximately 7.6 per cent of GDP. Household chores add a further 6.7 per cent to Mali’s GDP. Recognizing the economic value of these sectors not only highlights their importance but also sparks job creation, income generation, and the economic empowerment of women.

To address the enormous, undervalued and unpaid contributions of women and girls, UN Women recommends a three-pronged approach to the required government policies: 

1. Recognize: Increase awareness of unpaid care work through improved data collection and integration of gender-responsive policies. 
2. Reduce: Invest in infrastructure like water and energy to reduce the time burden on women and expand access to childcare services. 
3. Redistribute: Promote a fairer division of labour through policy changes, such as improved paternity leave, and cultural shifts promoting shared domestic responsibilities.

In Cabo Verde, women spend 1.7 times more on unpaid work than men. To tackle this, the country launched its first National Care Plan in 2017 to provide universal childcare and long-term care through a national network. The plan expands day-care centers and services for older adults and people with disabilities, significantly improving support for caregivers, most of whom are women. 

In Rwanda, women make up a large portion of the tea workforce, and employer-supported childcare facilities were introduced to meet their needs. These on-site day-care centers, initially set up as corporate social responsibility initiatives, have boosted productivity by reducing absenteeism, benefiting both employees and businesses. 

These initiatives demonstrate how comprehensive care systems can ease unpaid care work for women, helping to promote a more equitable and inclusive society.