Introduction

Excerpt from the TinT-FollowTaxes Care research titled “Establishing a Fairer Distribution of Care Responsibilities: Empowering Women and Recognizing Care Work in Kaduna State”:

Care work both paid and unpaid—is a fundamental pillar of economic and social development. It supports families, facilitates workforce participation, and enhances community well-being. Despite its essential role, care work remains significantly undervalued, underpaid, and largely invisible in Kaduna State’s economic policies. Women disproportionately bear the burden of this imbalance, performing a larger share of unpaid caregiving, which limits their economic independence and perpetuates gender inequalities.

This paper presents a strong economic argument for acknowledging, redistributing, and compensating care work in Kaduna State. It emphasizes the financial contributions of care work, outlines the costs associated with neglecting it, and proposes policy solutions to incorporate care work into economic planning.

The Economic Burden of Unpaid and Underpaid Care Work

Globally, the monetary value of unpaid care work is estimated at $10.8 trillion annually, which is three times the size of the global tech industry (Oxfam, 2020). In Kaduna State, unpaid care work involves countless hours of labor; however, it is not measured in GDP calculations, is not compensated, and is not considered in economic policies.

Key Findings from Research by TinT-FollowTaxes (2024):

          •         91% of female caregivers in Kaduna are unpaid.

          •         More than 30% of caregivers earn less than ₦10,000 per month, far below a living wage.

          •         63.7% of Kaduna’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, with care workers among the most affected.

          •         Many women spend 4-6 hours daily on unpaid care work, limiting their ability to pursue income-generating activities.

These findings highlight a major economic injustice: while care work is crucial for the survival of families and communities, those who perform it—mostly women—face financial insecurity, lack of career opportunities, and limited social mobility.

The Cost of Neglecting Care Work

When care work is undervalued, it has severe economic and social consequences, including:

          1.       Reduced Workforce Participation: Women engaged in unpaid care work have less time for paid employment, contributing to lower female labor force participation rates.
          2.       Slower Economic Growth: The lack of financial compensation for care work means caregivers have lower disposable incomes, reducing overall household consumption and economic productivity.
          3.       Increased Gender Wage Gap: Women who perform unpaid care work often remain in low-paying, informal sector jobs, widening the wage gap between men and women.
          4.       Higher Health Costs: The stress and exhaustion from long hours of unpaid care work lead to poor mental and physical health outcomes, increasing the burden on the healthcare system.

Ignoring care work is not just a gender issue—it is an economic issue. If care work were formally recognized and remunerated, it would boost household incomes, increase tax revenues, and enhance overall economic stability.

Policy Recommendations from

To address these challenges, the Kaduna State government must integrate care work into economic policies and ensure fair compensation for caregivers. The following policy actions are recommended:

          1.       Develop a Kaduna State Care Economy Strategy:

• Recognize care work in economic planning and budgeting.

• Include care work in Kaduna’s State Development Plan and labor policies.

          2.       Implement Minimum Wage Policies for Caregivers:

• Establish minimum wage protections for domestic and community caregivers.

• Introduce social protection programs (health insurance, pension plans) for care workers.

          3.       Invest in Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Services:

• Expand public childcare and eldercare centers to reduce unpaid care burdens.

• Provide incentives for employers to offer workplace childcare.

          4.       Encourage Shared Care Responsibilities:

• Promote parental leave policies that encourage fathers to participate in caregiving

• Introduce public awareness campaigns to shift social norms around care work.

Conclusion

Recognizing and compensating care work is not just an ethical imperative—it is an economic necessity. If Kaduna State takes proactive steps to integrate care work into economic policies, it can boost economic productivity, create jobs, and reduce poverty. The time to act is now.