Overview
This blog emphasises the role of unpaid care work in women’s economic empowerment and the need for policies that consider its impact and prioritise interventions to reduce, recognise and redistribute the load. However, affecting policy change is complex. It requires taking advantage of opportune moments such as when political conditions are favourable, and when public opinion or fatigue with current policies warrants change. Overall, the blog stresses the significance of timing and the need for policies that address gender inequalities in labour division and access to resources and opportunities.
Women’s Economic Empowerment and Unpaid Care
Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional process to enhance women’s capacity for strategic choices and equal participation in society. According to Folbre (2018), gender inequalities in labour division, unpaid care work, and access to resources and opportunities are central to women’s subordinate status in society. This lack of strategic agency reinforces their disadvantaged status both in their lives and in society.
Unpaid care work is a significant barrier to women’s economic empowerment, as it is a gendered responsibility that disproportionately affects women in poverty. Women often have to sacrifice their health and free time to find safe and fair employment, as the amount of time spent on unpaid care work is unequally distributed.
To achieve women’s economic empowerment, policies must consider the effects of unpaid care work on women and prioritise interventions to reduce its burden. Unpaid care work is not only essential for household survival but also for the development of families and communities, and policymakers and practitioners must recognise its importance.
Strategies to increase women’s participation in economic growth include building human capital, redistributing reproductive responsibilities, equating property rights, mainstreaming women in the financial system, and promoting gender-aware social protection in unstable markets.
Ethiopia has implemented policies, programmes, and laws that influence or contribute to women’s economic empowerment and address gender inequalities. However, these are slow to materialise, and other policies still need to include these gender provisions.
Policy change is complex
Governments, organisations, communities, and individuals often establish policies that serve as both formal and informal guidelines to address problems and circumstances. These policies commonly arise from fundamental belief systems, making them difficult to modify. Thus, any attempts to change policies must be patient, sensitive, and sincere to be effective. Successful policy implementation is crucial for achieving desired results, and academic research has identified certain criteria for achieving this goal. These include effective coordination, communication, and understanding between the implementer and beneficiaries, as well as between stakeholders (Tezera, 2019). However, challenges can arise due to the situational context and differing beliefs and priorities of implementing agents across policy areas and systems. It is important to understand the various factors and conditions that contribute to these complex processes to facilitate successful policy change and implementation (Cerna, 2014).
Why spend time and effort making changes?
The opportune moments for effecting policy change often arise when political conditions are favourable. Such moments may present themselves when existing policies have become ineffective, new challenges or opportunities have arisen, or when societal and economic conditions have shifted significantly. The timing for implementing policy changes can also be influenced by external factors such as election years, deadlines for input or decision-making, crises, or critical events that impact the target population. Additionally, public opinion and fatigue with certain policies or institutions can play a role in determining the optimal time for policy changes (Gardner and Brindis, 2017).
The primary purpose of conducting policy evaluations is to identify the gap between policy goals and their actual outcomes, as well as to assess the impact of implemented policies. Policy changes can spark discussions and debates within the community, highlighting the shortcomings of current measures and encouraging people to consider alternative solutions. These discussions may also influence views on other issues and shape the direction of the community as a whole.
Conclusion
In summary, timing is a crucial factor in promoting change within a community. It is optimal to advocate for change during specific debates on relevant issues, especially when new legislation or regulations are under consideration, or funding is being reduced. Additionally, seizing opportunities when new information reshapes public perception, such as releasing a study highlighting the benefits of a particular approach or evidence of unethical or illegal behaviour, can significantly increase the chances of successful policy change. Acting swiftly in these situations is essential for achieving desired outcomes.
Includovate will pay attention to opportune times to influence policies as part of the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) – East Africa Initiative. In collaboration with our partners – WISE for capacity strengthening of key policy actors, and Addis PowerHouse for running advocacy efforts – we will enhance women’s economic empowerment (WEE) reduce, recognise and redistribute unpaid care in Ethiopia and strengthen the in-country coalition of key WEE champions.
Acknowledgement
GrOW is jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. We thank GrOW wholeheartedly for funding and making this project on ‘Enhancing women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and tackling unpaid care (UC) in Ethiopia possible.
References
Cerna, L. (2014). “The Nature of Policy Change and Implementation: A Review of Different Theoretical Approaches.” Retrieved from: https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/st-paul-university-iloilo/bachelors-of-science-in-business-administration/the-nature-of-policy-change-and-implementation/30772228
Gardner, A. and Brindis, C. (2017). “Advocacy and policy change evaluation: Theory and practice”, Stanford University Press.
Folbre, N. (2018). Developing care: Recent research on the care economy and economic development. International Development Research Centre.
Tezera, D. (2019). Factors for the successful implementation of policies. Merit Research Journal of Education and Review, 7(8), pp.92-95.