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🇿🇼 Zimbabwe /Culture & Society

Zimbabwean women push to recognise the invisible work of running a home

From AllAfrica Zimbabwe · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • Zimbabwean women spend more time than men on unpaid care, domestic and volunteer work, according to a 2025 national survey.
  • Supporters of the proposed Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Bill say the burden limits women's education, economic opportunities, public participation and political leadership.
  • Parliament debated a motion calling for domestic labour to be recognised as part of national development and for the government to develop a comprehensive policy.

Before Cecilia Makumbe delivers her custom-sewn clothes to clients in eastern Zimbabwe, she completes the household chores. She cleans, does laundry, fetches water and waters the garden. By the time she begins sewing, the 43-year-old mother of four says, she is already exhausted.

Makumbe walks nearly a kilometre to collect water from a shallow well because the nearest community borehole is twice as far away. Her experience reflects the wider burden carried by Zimbabwean women and girls, who perform most unpaid domestic labour and lose opportunities outside the home as a result.

I clean the house, do laundry, fetch water and water the garden. By the time I start my sewing job, I am already exhausted.

· Cecilia MakumbeMakumbe described the daily household work she completes before starting her sewing business.

The proposed Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Bill, drafted in 2024, seeks policies to support those carrying out this work. The bill has not yet become law, but supporters are renewing their campaign. A parliamentary motion to recognise cooking, cleaning and other chores as essential economic labour was introduced late last year and debated this week.

Women continue to carry a disproportionate share of cooking, cleaning, childcare, caring for older persons and persons with disabilities, collecting water and other essential household responsibilities.

· Sizalokuhle NcubeNcube argued that unpaid domestic work has economic, social and political consequences.

Sizalokuhle Ncube of the Women's Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence says unpaid care work is not merely a private household matter. Women continue to carry most cooking, cleaning, childcare, care for older people and people with disabilities, water collection and other essential responsibilities, she says.

A 2025 survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency found that women spend about 5.9 hours a day on unpaid care, domestic and volunteer work, compared with 3.8 hours for men. Makumbe completed a six-month sewing course but could not continue her studies after marriage because she could not afford childcare. On 20 August, lawmakers in the National Assembly agreed that the government should create a comprehensive policy on unpaid domestic labour and invest in infrastructure.

I could not afford childcare. So I could not continue.

· Cecilia MakumbeMakumbe explained why she could not continue her studies after completing a sewing course.
About this summary

Originally published by AllAfrica Zimbabwe in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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