There is a need for the Government and private sector to consider economic policies that factor in the care burden shouldered by women.
This is the message by women's rights groups at the Women's Economic Forum 2023.
They said that one way of making sure that women fully participate in the economy is through proper childcare legislation.
"There's a need for more investment in public and private childcare facilities like creches. We need to have more of them, they need to be properly equipped, and women need to be able to access them easily," they said.
The Forum, organised by Community Advocacy and Awareness (CRAWN) Trust connects women to financial opportunities for economic empowerment.
They said that women's shouldering of the care burden for society often sees them make trade-offs for participation in the real economy.
"They, therefore, end up benefitting less from the national wealth created through the industrial sector, usually characterised by high productivity and higher incomes," they said.
Care burden refers to stress or strain incurred while taking care of the home, including children, the elderly, and the sick.
They said that the industrial sector has higher incomes compared to the agriculture and service sectors.
"Women only account for 22 per cent of jobs in the industrial sector, compared to 34 per cent in agriculture and 39 per cent in the service sector," they said.
They said that the small numbers of women in the respective sectors are due to discrimination of women in business, their lack of awareness and sensitisation as well as the burden they have to carry of care wor.
"The question that needs to be asked is how do we support women to get into those spaces where they're able to earn income even when the bulk of their time has been spent at home, caring for family?" They said.
