HARARE — Zimbabwean women spend significantly more time on unpaid domestic and care work than men, with the disparity rising to more than three times among women aged 25 to 34, according to national time-use data cited in Parliament.
The findings were presented during debate in the National Assembly on a motion seeking formal recognition of unpaid care and domestic work as part of Zimbabwe’s economy.
Perseverance Zhou, a ZANU-PF Proportional Representation Member of Parliament representing the Midlands Province, told lawmakers that women spend an average 5.9 hours a day on what the survey describes as “committed work,” including domestic duties and unpaid caregiving, compared with 3.8 hours for men.
The disparity is widest among people aged 25 to 34, when women spend 228% more time than men on domestic chores, unpaid care and volunteer work.
That means for every hour a man in that age group spends on unpaid care work, a woman spends about 3.28 hours, Zhou said.
The data also showed that 89.9% of women participate in unpaid domestic work, while men spend twice as much of their time on contracted employment, education and own-use production — 17.5% compared with 8.7% for women.
Lawmakers said the imbalance limits women’s opportunities to pursue paid employment, education and leadership while leaving much of their contribution to households and the wider economy unrecognised.
Women and girls commonly carry responsibility for cooking, cleaning, collecting water and firewood and caring for children, elderly people and sick relatives, MPs said during the debate.
Parliament subsequently adopted a motion calling on the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to develop comprehensive policy and legislation on unpaid care work and assess its economic value, including its contribution to gross domestic product.
The motion also calls on the Finance Ministry to increase spending on social protection, infrastructure and social services intended to ease the burden of unpaid care work.
