From far left Florence Syevuo Executive director SDGS Kenya Forum, Amb. Dr Samori Okwiya, Dr Elda Onsomu Executive Director Kippra, Ps Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action Ann Wang'ombe, Ps state Department for Economic Planning Dr Boniface Makokha, Un Country Representative Antonia Ngabala-Sodonon Statistics Sweden Representative Peter Nelson, KNBS Chairman Dr Daniel Mwirigi M’Amanja, Director General KNBS Dr Macdonald G. Obudho, during the Launch of the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work Report. /PHOTO ; Courtesy
For decades, women across Kenya have carried the invisible weight of unpaid domestic and care work, nurturing children, supporting the elderly, and keeping families and communities functioning.
Though essential, this contribution has long gone unrecognized in the country’s economic measurements.
A new report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is now changing that narrative, putting a tangible value on what has historically been considered “women’s unpaid labor.”
According to the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya Report 2025, women perform unpaid work worth KSh 118,845 annually — more than five times the value of men’s unpaid labor.
The findings offer a foundation for stronger policies that recognize, support, and reward this often-invisible sector — and open new opportunities for philanthropic and social investment in care infrastructure.
A Milestone in Recognizing Invisible Work
KNBS Director General Dr. Macdonald G. Obudho described the launch as a “milestone in Kenya’s journey to recognize invisible work.”
“Today marks a significant milestone in a journey that has taken many years of dedication, collaboration, and persistence,” he said.
He noted that it took years of effort to complete Kenya’s first Time Use Survey, often delayed by funding gaps until UN Women stepped in to provide the necessary financial support.
“The result,” he explained, “is the development of the Household Satellite Account — an innovation that extends traditional GDP to recognize the economic value of unpaid domestic and care work, largely carried out by women.”
This data-driven approach places Kenya among the few nations integrating care work into formal economic statistics — a move that could inform future policy, donor funding, and impact investments targeting gender equality and social welfare.
Redefining Economic Value
KNBS Board Chair Dr. Daniel Mwirigi M’Amanja emphasized that the report “brings to the fore the crucial, yet previously excluded, contribution of unpaid care and domestic work to our economy.”
For ordinary Kenyans, he said, this means “putting a value on work that has always been essential but never formally recognized.”
He credited partnerships with Mexico, Finland, and Sweden, alongside technical support from UN Women, the World Bank, and the SDG Kenya Forum, for helping Kenya build capacity in conducting Time Use Surveys and producing Household Satellite Accounts.
By quantifying unpaid work, Dr. M’Amanja said Kenya can now design evidence-based social policies and incentivize investment in the care economy — an emerging area where both government and private sector philanthropists can make transformative contributions.
Making Care Work Visible
UN Women Kenya Country Representative Antonia Ngabala-Sodonon called care work “the foundation on which all economies are built.”
“Too often, the work of nurturing and maintaining households is invisible, unpaid, and undervalued,” she said.
Globally, women and girls perform about 76 percent of unpaid domestic and care work, valued at nearly 9 percent of global GDP. In Kenya, women spend an average of 4 hours and 30 minutes daily on unpaid care tasks, compared to 54 minutes by men, creating what she termed “time poverty.”
Ngabala-Sodonon called for national budgeting that integrates care work, alongside investments in infrastructure such as childcare centers, eldercare facilities, and community support systems that can reduce the care burden on women.
“What is counted gets attention, and what is measured can be managed,” she noted — underscoring the role of data in driving equitable social investments.
From Data to Social Change
Florence Syevuo, Executive Director of the SDGs Kenya Forum, described the report as “more than statistics — a call to recognize, revalue, and rethink how we perceive work, productivity, and equality in society.”
She emphasized that care work is not merely a private family duty but a public good essential for national well-being and economic stability.
Syevuo urged civil society, policymakers, and the media to use the report’s findings to advocate for care-sensitive policies, social infrastructure investments, and redistribution of unpaid care work.
Her remarks spotlight the growing opportunity for philanthropic foundations and corporate social investors to partner with government and communities in strengthening care systems, creating decent jobs, and promoting gender equity.
Recognizing Care as Economic Infrastructure
Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe of the State Department for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action urged policymakers to view unpaid care work as economic infrastructure — the invisible engine powering all productive sectors.
“For too long, this sector has been treated as a private responsibility, yet it provides the foundation upon which all economic activity relies,” she said.
Wang’ombe called for investments in care infrastructure, including family-friendly workplace policies, expanded social protection, and norm-changing programs that promote shared domestic responsibilities.
Her remarks reflected a broader social investment vision — one where gender equity, productivity, and national growth are mutually reinforcing.
Counting Care as an Economic Driver
Principal Secretary Dr. Bonface Makokha of the State Department for Economic Planning provided the economic perspective:
“In 2021, unpaid domestic and care work — if compensated — would have amounted to KSh 2.5 trillion, equivalent to 23.1 percent of Kenya’s GDP,” he said.
That figure exceeds the combined contribution of manufacturing, electricity, water, and construction — a staggering demonstration of the care sector’s hidden value.
Dr. Makokha proposed three strategic actions:
- Invest in public care infrastructure, including affordable childcare and eldercare services.
- Promote gender-sensitive labor policies, such as flexible work arrangements and paid family leave.
- Integrate recognition, reduction, and redistribution of unpaid care work into national frameworks.
He pledged that the State Department will institutionalize household satellite accounts and strengthen inter-agency collaboration to sustain progress.
Toward a More Inclusive Economy
The launch of the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya Report 2025 signals a turning point in Kenya’s journey toward gender equality, inclusive growth, and sustainable social investment.
By quantifying and recognizing unpaid care work, Kenya is not only rewriting its economic story but also opening the door for philanthropic and impact investors to support the care economy through infrastructure, policy innovation, and advocacy.
Recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care responsibilities is not just about fairness — it is about building stronger households, productive communities, and a more just society.
