Women’s unpaid chores put them at risk – what can be done?

The study looks at how the heavy load of unpaid care and household work pushes women toward illness, especially during COVID‑19. Researchers held four discussion forums in Uganda and Kenya with local people and government officials to hear how women experience this work, how it is talked about in politics, and what changes might happen. Using a framework built on the ILO’s “5 Rs” – Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward and Represent – the authors link ideas from feminist politics and social ecology to explain how neglect of this work creates a dangerous home environment. Poor sanitation, lack of clean water and crowded living spaces turn houses into places where disease spreads easily, turning the unpaid work burden into a slow, hidden violence that feeds sickness.People in the talks suggested ways to share chores more fairly and pay women for their effort. Yet these suggestions were often met with pushback, including fears of violence if roles shift. This shows how deeply gender norms are entrenched and how hard it is to change them. The forums themselves prove useful. They give ordinary voices a chance to speak and help turn everyday experiences into policy demands. The authors recommend that recovery plans after the pandemic must focus on changing both the physical spaces where care happens and the rules that decide who does what.