By Own Correspondent

Zimbabwe’s parliament is considering a ground-breaking bill to formally recognize and reduce women’s unpaid care and domestic work, a move aimed at addressing gender inequality and boosting economic participation.

The proposed Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Bill, drafted in 2024, is designed to implement policies supporting women and girls who perform the majority of household labour. The bill was debated this week in the National Assembly, where lawmakers agreed the government should develop a comprehensive policy, invest in infrastructure, and fund social protection programs to ease women’s domestic workload.

According to a 2025 survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, women in Zimbabwe spend approximately 5.9 hours per day on unpaid care, domestic, and volunteer work. Men, by comparison, spend 3.8 hours. Advocates warn this imbalance restricts women’s access to economic opportunities, education, and political participation.

Sizalokuhle Ncube, communications manager at the Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence, emphasized the broader impact of unpaid labour, stating, “Unpaid care and domestic work is not a private household issue – it has economic, social and political consequences.”

The bill’s supporters are calling for policies such as clean cooking initiatives and solar-powered boreholes to reduce the time women spend on chores like fetching water and collecting firewood. Senator Maybe Mbowa, chair of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, clarified, “We simply want the government to intervene and reduce the burden of domestic work on women.”

Government officials say steps are already being taken. Mavis Sibanda, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Women Affairs, said the state is promoting clean cooking technologies and investing in rural water supplies to address the issue.

Zimbabwe’s move follows recent actions in other African nations. Kenya adopted a National Care Policy last year, and Rwanda revised its family law in 2024 to recognize unpaid care work as contributing to marital property.

The Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Bill remains under discussion, with advocates and lawmakers urging swift passage to ensure women like Cecilia Makumbe, a seamstress and mother of four in Mutare, gain the support they need to balance domestic duties with economic ambitions.