Oxfam launches the Care Policy Scorecard for unpaid care and domestic work.
Oxfam Uganda has Launched the Care Policy Scorecard which provides a practical tool, to assess and track the extent to which government policies related to care are adopted, budgeted for and implemented, along with the extent to which they have a transformative effect on care.
According to Oxfam the Care policy scorecard will also contribute to the recognition , reduction , redistribution , representation and reward through identification of the policy strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be done differently.
While presenting the validation of findings from an assessment on the care policy score card, Prof. Mary Ssonko Nabacwa the lead Investigator of the study, clarified that the rationale of the National Roll-Out of the Care Policy Score in Uganda is to assess the Government of Uganda policy performance and progress on care and supporting policies outcomes.
She noted that as they are carrying out the study, they are trying to track and measure government advancements and commitments across policy public areas, in relation to unpaid care and domestic work.
“Why are we doing this? It’s for two reasons. One to provide policy makers with evidence and information, to make informed decisions on these policies. And then to also idnetify opportunities towards policy influencing and action around issues of unpaid care and domestic work, into national programs,”
Further prof Ssonko highlighted that as the study is still ongoing, they have so far scored from the score card by reading government documents, that are publicly available.
She stated that they are trying to find out whether the policy exists in Uganda or not, and if it exists how transformative is this policy and to what extent is it changing the domain of unpaid care and domestic work.
Jane Ocaya the Womens Rights Advisor Oxfam in Uganda, asked how possible can it be to progressively make shifts through policy , programme interventions around norms, to have a better understanding of issues around Care Work?
She added that Care work, as a social good is something that benefits the largest number of people in the largest possible way.
Officiating at the event that was held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, Paulina Chiwangu the UN Women Country Representative in Uganda, applauded Oxfam for the policy care scored card, saying that this milestone achievement reflects the collective recorgnition of the pivotal role that paid and unpaid care play in insuring the well being of society.
She further added that all states should inline with UN, raise awareness to improve policies and scale up transform the care economy and advanced gender equality.
“Our UN resolution emphasizes the value of care work, and recorgnizes care workers as essential workers. It promotes efforts to rectify unfair arrangements, co concerning paid and unpaid care work, and domestic work, and champions the creation of an enabling environment for women’s economic autonomy,”
The Care Policy Scorecard is the result of extensive collaboration between organizations and individuals working on the care agenda at national, regional and global levels.
It has been developed by the following organizations: Oxfam, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) Asia, International Domestic Workers Federation, Africa Leadership Forum, UK Women’s Budget Group, Ciudadanía Bolivia, Padare Men’s Forum Zimbabwe, the Ugandan Women’s Network and Youth Alive! Kenya.
