-Millions Of Women Left Out Of The Productive Workforce-
Kampala
Childcare has lately emerged among the most urgent economic reform priorities for Uganda. Although overlooked in many ways, the country’s policymakers, international development partners and regional childcare advocates argue that limited access to affordable and good-quality childcare continues to lock millions of women out of the country’s productive workforce, while this equally undermines early childhood development.
This emerged recently during a national webinar on childcare under the theme, ‘Transforming Childcare in Uganda: Strengthening Policies, Standards and Systems for Better Outcomes’. The engagement brought together officials from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), the World Bank (WB), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN).
The speakers argue that childcare should no longer be viewed as a social welfare issue. Instead, they described it as foundational economic infrastructure that is essential for gender equality, inclusive growth, and human capital development.
According to Angelia Nakafeero, the Commissioner for Gender and Women Affairs in MGLSD, the gaps in Uganda’s childcare system are already imposing high economic and social costs. In her statement presented by Mondo Kyateeka, the Assistant Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs, 83% of women are engaged in unpaid care work, while only 39% are active in the country’s labour force.
“In the absence of reliable childcare, at least more than a third of women in the workforce carry their children to work which disrupts their concentration and limits their productivity and income potential,” Nakafeero explains, adding that even most of the surrounding environments are unsafe and not suitable or conducive for a child’s development,” she explained.
Currently, Uganda’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Index stands at 56%, with only 53% of children engaging in four or more early stimulation activities.
She further said that the government was already pursuing reforms, including the draft ECCE Policy approved in 2024, the Employment (Amendment) Bill that would require workplaces to provide childcare and breastfeeding facilities and the development of national standards for childcare services for children below three years.
“The Ministry is working tirelessly to improve coordination across sectors and further strengthen oversight at local government and national levels,” she explained.
World Bank
According to Frances Mary Beaton-Day, the Co-Team Lead of World Bank’s Invest in Childcare initiative, childcare investments clearly deliver strong economic returns by enabling more women to get employment, get paid, improve child development and boost productivity.
“Globally, 708 million women are excluded from the workforce because of childcare responsibilities. Nearly half of the children (43%), around 350 million, lack access to childcare services such as daycare centres,” she added.
In 2022, the World Bank launched the Invest in Childcare initiative to address some of these challenges by supporting governments with grants, policy guidance, technical support and coordinated financing. Since then, different projects with childcare components have expanded rapidly, from six in 2017 to 130 this year, with Eastern and Southern Africa recording the highest number.
Beaton-Day further said that countries were adopting a range of approaches to expand access to childcare, including integrating childcare into health and nutrition programs, public works schemes, education systems, plus youth and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C) shows that community-based childcare led to a 44% increase in women’s agricultural productivity, a 27% rise in household income, and an improvement in child development.
“There’s no single right model given a wide range of preferences, but there are approaches that enable more flexibility and choice,” she said.
Childcare Gap Widens, Structural Barriers
According to Given Mwanakatire Daka, the Regional Coordinator – AfECN, said childcare continues to be overlooked in Africa’s development frameworks despite its important role in human development.
“Child care is central to Africa’s human development agenda, gender equality and economic transformation,” Daka said, adding that access to affordable, quality childcare also remains limited, particularly for low-income and rural families.
She noted that traditional normsplace responsibility of care on mothers and female caregivers across the continent while women’s participation in the labour market, changes in family structures and demographic shifts. “This results in the growing need for alternative childcare arrangements across the region,” she added.
AfECN’s analysis shows that most African countries operate disjointed childcare systems, often treated as part of a broader ECD policy. This means issues of affordability, workforce development, parental support and sustainable financing receive less attention.
Daka further called for separate national childcare frameworks, dedicated budget lines, simplified registration for providers, and professionalisation of the childcare workforce which is overwhelmingly female and largely informal.
Childcare, labour rights
Ida Tsitsi Chimedza, the Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Specialist at ILO, stressed that childcare reform must be connected to decent work standards and labour protections.
Globally, she cited, ILO estimates 748 million people outside the labour force due to care responsibilities. These include 708 million women and 40 million men. In addition, two billion potential parents live in countries without adequate maternity protection, paternity and parental leave, and quality childcare services with decent care jobs. “Currently, many workers in care sectors face decent work deficits,” she said.
“The care sector or economy delivers a quadruple dividend by creating jobs, increasing the country’s GDP, children’s cognitive abilities, productivity and better business performance in addition to the mother’s employment opportunity and reduced poverty,” Chimedza said.
She further highlighted the 2024 ILO Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Care Economy, which urges governments to increase investments in affordable and accessible quality child-care services including for workers in the informal economy.
According to ILO modelling across 14 African countries, closing the childcare policy gap by 2035 would require investment equivalent to 4.95% of GDP, but could generate 23.5 million childcare jobs and deliver a return of US$2.22 for every dollar invested.
According to ILO modelling across 14 African economies, closing the childcare policy gap by 2035 would require additional investment equivalent to 4.95% of GDP, create a potential of 23.5 million jobs in the childcare sector and further yield a return of US$2.22 for every US dollar invested.
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