Zimbabwe: Women in Zimbabwe Push for Recognition of 'Invisible' Domestic Labour
[RFI] Mutare, Zimbabwe - In Zimbabwe, women and girls overwhelmingly bear the burden of domestic labour - costing them opportunities outside the home. New policies are being considered to recognise the value of this unpaid work.
Zimbabwe's women shoulder an immense burden of unpaid domestic work, hindering their personal and professional growth. In Mutare, Cecilia Makumbe, a mother of four, spends exhausting hours on chores before even starting her sewing business. The proposed Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Bill aims to acknowledge and alleviate this plight.
While the bill hasn't passed, its supporters remain vocal, arguing that reducing women's domestic workload would unlock economic and political opportunities for them. Women spend approximately 5.9 hours daily on unpaid tasks, compared to men's 3.8 hours, according to a 2025 survey. Advocates call for government intervention, such as clean cooking initiatives and improved water supply, to lighten women's daily grind.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.