Consultant to develop a policy guideline to support policymakers in transforming care systems for Sub-Saharan Africa

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Care work is essential to societies and economies, encompassing both paid and unpaid labour that supports the well-being of individuals and communities. The global monetary value of women’s unpaid care work is estimated at $10.8 trillion annually, three times the size of the world’s tech industry. Despite its critical importance, care work remains unrecognized and undervalued, entrenched in patriarchal norms that consider it a woman's duty. 

In Africa, transformation of care systems is critical for economic growth, gender equality, and social well-being. Women in sub-Saharan Africa spend 3.4 times more time on unpaid care work than men, limiting their access to education, decent employment, and participation in public life. (1) If unpaid care work were assigned a monetary value, it would constitute 7.2% of GDP in Ethiopia, 7.9% in Tanzania, and 8.8% in South Africa. (2) Unpaid care work remains a major driver of gender inequality, restricting women and girls’ time, choices, and opportunities for decent work, education, and participation in public life. As a result, many women are crowded into low-paid and insecure jobs increasing their likelihood of living in poverty without social protection.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, recurring climate shocks, protracted conflicts, displacement, and food insecurity significantly increase care needs while weakening public services and social protection systems. During crises, women and girls often take on additional responsibilities for caring for children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and injured family members, while spending more time securing essential resources such as water, food, and fuel (3). At the same time, the breakdown of care infrastructure places disproportionate pressure on women and girls and limits their participation in humanitarian response, recovery, and peacebuilding efforts.

Additionally, the paid care sector, dominated by women, is characterized by low wages and poor working conditions, further exacerbating economic insecurity and gender disparities. Investing in public care infrastructure, such as universal childcare services, presents a transformative opportunity to redistribute unpaid care responsibility, improve working conditions, and create millions of formal jobs. For example, in in Tanzania it could generate over 7 million formal jobs. (4) These investments would not only bolster economic growth but also enhance social protection, particularly in rural areas, where care responsibilities are often more pronounced due to limited access to water, energy, transport and other care services. 

 As such, comprehensive care policies and investments are essential for building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economies that benefit all. This is particularly critical in fragile and crisis-affected contexts, where strengthening care systems can support community resilience, accelerate recovery, and contribute to peacebuilding by addressing the structural inequalities that deepen during conflict and humanitarian emergencies.

To address this, policymakers must recognize and value the vital contributions women make to economies worldwide through both paid and unpaid care work. Investing in women is both an economic imperative and a human rights issue, as the global economic and financial systems perpetuate gender inequality. governments must prioritize gender-responsive financing and increase public spending on essential services and social protection.

In this regard, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, UN Women is commissioning a consultancy to develop a regional policy guideline for Sub-Saharan Africa region to support policymakers in transforming care systems. This guideline will serve as a blueprint for policymakers at regional, national, and sub-national levels, providing a cohesive framework for advancing the care economy while allowing flexibility for adaptation to specific socio-economic and cultural contexts. 

Objective of the assignment 

The overall objective of this assignment is to develop a regional policy guideline that will support policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa to transform care systems and advance the care economy, including in contexts of crisis and fragility setting. This will include carrying out comprehensive data collection and mapping analysis, forming the foundation for a strong evidence base. This process will ensure the guideline is h