Photo Credit: Fieldwork Africa

NNA News - Unpaid domestic and care work in Cabo Verde has an estimated economic value equivalent to 9.6 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to a report presented Tuesday by the Cabo Verdean Institute for Gender Equality and Equity (ICIEG).

The report found that women continue to perform a significantly larger share of unpaid work than men. It said 88.4 percent of women aged 10 and above engage in unpaid work, compared with 67.9 percent of men. The difference is also evident in care work involving children, older people and people with disabilities. According to the report, 36 percent of women participate in such care work, compared with 18.8 percent of men.

David Matern, Resident Representative of UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA in Cabo Verde, said that if unpaid work were included in national economic accounts, its economic value would amount to approximately 9.6 percent of GDP. Matern stressed that domestic and care work constitutes an "economy" that takes place every day in households and communities, but "remains practically invisible in national accounts."

The report also found that the overall volume of unpaid work has declined substantially compared with previous years. ICIEG President Marisa Carvalho said the volume of unpaid work had decreased by more than 50 percent compared with 2012. However, she said the difference between women and men performing this work remains above 20 percentage points.

The figures point to a continuing imbalance in how domestic and care responsibilities are distributed, despite the overall reduction in unpaid work. Adelsia Almeida, Minister of Family, Inclusion, Social Development and Labour, said the findings demonstrate the wider economic importance of care work. Almeida said care constitutes a "true economic asset" of Cabo Verde, adding that the government intends to progressively strengthen the National Care Policy.

The government plans to expand services including childcare centres, home-based support, day centres for older people and services for people with disabilities, according to Almeida. The proposed expansion would provide additional support to families and communities that currently carry much of the responsibility for domestic and care work. The findings also bring attention to the difficulty of measuring economic activity that takes place outside formal employment. Although unpaid domestic and care work generally does not generate a direct wage, the report's estimate places a monetary value on its contribution to the country's economy.

The gender disparity highlighted by the report is particularly significant. While both women and men participate in unpaid work, women have substantially higher participation rates across the categories examined. The figures therefore connect the care economy to wider questions of gender equality, labour participation and social policy. The government's planned strengthening of the National Care Policy could provide greater institutional support for households while expanding access to services for children, older people and people with disabilities.

The report's findings suggest that recognising unpaid work in economic terms could also contribute to a broader understanding of how households and communities support the functioning of the economy. For Cabo Verde, the challenge now lies in translating greater recognition of the care economy into policies and services that address the unequal distribution of unpaid work.

The report was presented by ICIEG on Tuesday.