The ILO provided technical guidance throughout the drafting and validation of the National Care Policy, ensuring alignment with international labour standards and the 5R Framework (recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care and reward and representation of care workers). The ILO submitted written comments on the draft policy through the Ministry of Gender and participated in the final validation meeting in July 2025 alongside government, workers’, and employers’ representatives. Following validation, the revised draft was submitted for government review and is progressing through the required approval processes prior to Cabinet consideration.
I-7 Is there collaboration with other agencies of the United Nations System or other partners?
Yes
I-7-A Specify agency names
UN Women, UNICEF, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Oxfam
II-1 Justification of the initiative
The development of Kenya’s National Care Policy is a timely and necessary intervention that advances gender equality, strengthens labour rights, and supports the recognition and valuation of care work within national development planning. By addressing the unequal distribution of unpaid care work—where women in Kenya spend four to five hours daily compared to about one hour for men—the policy tackles a key structural barrier that limits women’s access to decent work and reinforces labour market inequalities.From an ILO perspective, a central justification lies in the policy’s focus on promoting decent work within the care economy. Its emphasis on professionalizing care work through skills development, fair remuneration, improved working conditions, and access to social protection reflects the principles of relevant ILO standards on decent work, equality, and the protection of care workers. Measures to regulate care services and strengthen quality standards further support the formalization and protection of a largely informal and undervalued workforce.The initiative is also grounded in a commitment to strengthening the evidence base on care. The use of satellite accounts and official statistics—demonstrated through the report Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya 2025, developed by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the State Department for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action, aligns with ILO guidance on recognizing and quantifying unpaid care work to inform effective policy design.The policy makes a significant contribution to gender equality and non-discrimination by directly addressing the structural barriers that disproportionately affect women and girls due to the unequal distribution of unpaid care work. By recognizing care work as essential to human well-being and national development, the policy challenges long-standing gender norms that limit women’s economic, social, and political participation.
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Not applicable
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Domestic workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Childcare workers (for children ages 0-start of primary school)
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Long-term care / geriatric care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal assistants / disability support workers
II-13-A Specification
null
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Men
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Mothers
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Fathers
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Persons with other care responsibilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
People with disabilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Children
II-14-A Specification
null
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, through social dialogue
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, inter-institutional coordination mechanisms
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
The Government of Kenya endorsed the National Care Policy in December 2025 following a broad, consultative, and multi-sectoral development process involving national and county governments, civil society, trade unions, private sector actors, academia, and development partners.The Policy aims to address the heavy and unequal burden of unpaid care work borne by women and girls by recognizing care work as essential, reducing and redistributing care responsibilities, and improving conditions for paid care workers. It includes a costed implementation matrix and assigns the National Treasury and Economic Planning a central role in allocating and mobilizing resources for care-related services and infrastructure through gender-responsive public finance systems.The key objectives include:Recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care, and reward and represent care workers to advance gender equality in line with the ILO 5R Framework for Decent Care Work.Acknowledge the economic value of care work by strengthening its measurement and visibility, drawing on national statistics such as the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya 2025 Report.Professionalize care work through the development and enforcement of care service standards, the application of decent work principles, and the extension of social protection to care workers across both formal and informal sectors.Establish and expand public care services and supportive infrastructure for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities to reduce household care responsibilities and improve access to quality care.Guide national and county planning using evidence‑based tools, including the development of a satellite care account, to integrate care into socio‑economic policymaking and resource allocation.
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Advocacy/campaign/awareness-raising
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Reward care workers
II-5 Which is the main policy area of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Care policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Employment policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Design and implement integrated and coherent care policies and systems for decent work and gender equality
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Mainstream care into relevant public policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Promote employment and macroeconomic policies that create decent jobs in the care economy
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the undervaluation of care work by raising public awareness
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the unequal gender distribution of paid and unpaid work, and promoting women’s economic inclusion and autonomy beyond caregiving
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Universal social protection systems that provide adequate protection to care workers and recognize unpaid care work
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Invest in and make available high-quality, affordable, adequate and accessible care services, including childcare, health care and long-term care
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Preventing and addressing all forms of discrimination against care workers
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Collecting and disseminating data on unpaid and paid care work
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Promoting the voice and representation of, and consulting with, care worker organizations, organizations of employers of care workers and unpaid family carers
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Unpaid carers (workers or persons with care responsibilities, parents, other family members, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Paid care workers (nurses, domestic workers, teachers, childcare workers, personal assistants, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Care recipients (children, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
The development of Kenya’s National Care Policy has significantly strengthened national recognition of unpaid and paid care work as a core economic and social priority. The process elevated the visibility of care work by generating robust national evidence, including the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya 2025 report, which quantified women’s disproportionate contribution to unpaid care and provided the first household satellite account for valuing this labour. Multi-stakeholder engagement—led by the State Department for Gender Affairs and supported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), UN Women, UNICEF, ILO, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and other partners—enhanced technical understanding of care needs and built widespread policy consensus. The availability of improved statistics has informed policy direction, strengthened gender responsive planning, and catalysed momentum toward establishing a national satellite care account to guide investment and coordination in the care economy.Overall, the initiative has accelerated progress toward formalizing care work, expanding social protection and decent work for care workers, and integrating care into Kenya’s broader economic and gender equality agenda.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
Kenya’s National Care Policy stands out for formally recognizing and valuing unpaid care work through an evidence-based, multisectoral approach. Collaboration between the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the State Department for Gender Affairs, and partners such as the ILO, UNICEF, and UN Women led to the production of Kenya’s first official statistics on the economic value of unpaid domestic and care work—work traditionally performed by women and previously excluded from national accounts. This progress was supported by the adoption of the ILO Light Time-Use Model, which provides a cost-effective and flexible method for generating time-use data in contexts where full national surveys are too resource-intensive. Insights from these initial assessments were instrumental in informing policy discussions and programme development on gender equality, ultimately contributing to the formulation of the National Care Policy.By making unpaid care work visible and measurable, the initiative strengthens policy planning, budgeting, and advocacy for both unpaid care and the protection and professionalization of care workers. It also promotes coordinated action among government institutions, researchers, and development partners to position care work as essential to economic growth, gender equality, and social well-being.
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
The policy development process faced several challenges. A key difficulty was the limited availability of official data on unpaid care work, which made it harder to demonstrate its economic value and justify policy investment. This gap was addressed through collaboration between the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the State Department for Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action, resulting in the Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya 2025 report. The report provided credible, measurable evidence to inform planning and policymaking.Deep-seated gender norms that view care work as primarily the responsibility of women and girls also posed significant barriers. These were addressed through stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising efforts to highlight the social and economic value of care work and promote shared responsibility within households and communities.The policy process also had to navigate a fragmented policy landscape, including existing frameworks such as the National Care Reform Strategy for Children. This was addressed by positioning the National Care Policy as a comprehensive framework covering both unpaid and paid care across all population groups, while ensuring alignment with sector-specific policies.Constraints in public care infrastructure and resource allocation were tackled by emphasizing the expansion of public care services, strengthening workplace support policies, and developing a satellite care account to support sustained investment in the care economy.Finally, the complexity of coordinating diverse actors was managed through broad, multi-stakeholder participation, fostering shared ownership and strengthening overall policy coherence.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
1. Strong government leadership was essential for driving ownership and sustainability.The policy development process demonstrated that active leadership from key ministries, particularly the Ministry of Gender and later the National Treasury, was crucial for keeping the process on track, coordinating multisectoral inputs, and ensuring that the final Policy aligned with national priorities. High-level government stewardship helped secure consensus, facilitate validation, and build long-term commitment for implementation and resource mobilization.2. A broad, multisectoral, and expert-driven engagement enriched the quality and relevance of the Policy.The involvement of diverse stakeholders, including county governments, trade unions, the private sector, civil society, UN Agencies, academia, and development partners, brought in specialized expertise on gender, labour standards, public finance, care services, and social protection. This multisectoral approach enhanced the evidence base (including insights from the 2025 Economic Value of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Kenya 2025 report), ensured that the policy captured the full spectrum of care needs and economic considerations, and strengthened legitimacy, buy-in, and feasibility for implementation.
V-1 Sources of information and documents used on the characteristics of the initiative, including links to websites, news items, toolkits, policy documents or reports
Kenya National Care PolicyLaunch Of The Economic Value Of Unpaid Domestic And Care Work Report 2025Kenya Marks a Major Milestone in Care Reform with High-Level Government Support‘Care work is valuable work’: Experts call for adoption of National Care Policy