WARREN BRIGHT
For years, unpaid care work has remained largely invisible in public policy despite its vital role in supporting families and communities. Tanzania is now taking steps to bring the issue into the national development conversation.
Government officials, United Nations agencies, disability rights advocates and development partners recently convened a National Symposium on Unpaid Care Work, Disability Inclusion and Gender-Transformative Approaches to examine how care responsibilities affect women, girls and persons with disabilities.
Organised by UNFPA, UNDP and UN Women under the Global Disability Fund programme, the symposium highlighted evidence showing that women in Tanzania spend approximately three times more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men, often limiting their access to education, employment and economic opportunities.
Speaking at the event, Yohana Sekimweri, Assistant Director in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Special Groups, said the findings should prompt action from policymakers and development partners.
“Unpaid care work continues to disproportionately affect women and girls, especially those with disabilities, limiting their opportunities and well-being. We must work collectively to strengthen policies, expand social protection systems and ensure that care responsibilities are recognised as a shared societal responsibility,” he said.
The symposium also explored the intersection between unpaid care work, disability inclusion and gender-based violence, drawing on new research into the experiences of caregivers and care recipients across Tanzania.
Opening the meeting, Susan Ngongi Namondo said unpaid care work remains one of the least visible yet most important foundations of families, communities and economies, calling for greater investment in inclusive care systems and social protection mechanisms.
Disability rights advocate Neema Mwasangi welcomed the findings, saying they reflected the realities faced by many caregivers whose contributions often go unrecognised.
“For many families and caregivers, especially women and girls with disabilities, unpaid care work is a daily reality that often goes unseen and unsupported. This report gives visibility to our lived experiences and provides evidence that can drive meaningful policy change,” she said.
Participants called for stronger integration of care and support services into national policies and development planning through expanded social protection programmes, accessible childcare and respite services, stronger legal frameworks and greater recognition of care work as a shared societal responsibility.
The discussions reflect a growing recognition that unpaid care work is not simply a household issue, but a development challenge with implications for gender equality, disability inclusion and economic participation. The task ahead, participants agreed, is to translate research and dialogue into lasting policy reform.
