Mapping Care Initiatives Addressing the Disproportionate Responsibility of Unpaid Care Work on Women in Rwanda

This mapping report presents a comprehensive overview of care initiatives in Rwanda, aimed at addressing the disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic responsibilities on women and girls. Commissioned by UN Women under the “Transformative Approaches to Recognize, Reduce, and Redistribute Unpaid Care Work in Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme (Phase II: 2023–2026)”, the study provides evidence on the scope, effectiveness, and gaps of existing care interventions, and identifies opportunities to build a sustainable, inclusive, and gender-transformative care systems in Rwanda.

 

The mapping covered ten districts purposively selected to reflect geographic diversity, urban-rural variation, and diversity in care service availability. The selection included both districts with extensive care service coverage and those with limited coverage, as well as districts previously involved in the implementation of the first phase of UN Women Rwanda 3R Programme. The assessment categorized care interventions into six main domains: Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions, labour and energy-saving technologies, social care services for the elderly and persons with disabilities, capacity-building and awareness programs, gender-transformative initiatives, and women’s economic empowerment (WEE) interventions linked to care. Stakeholders include government institutions (MIGEPROF, NCDA, MINALOC, MININFRA, MINEDUC, MINISANTE), development partners (UNICEF, UN Women, GIZ, World Bank, FCDO, EU), NGOs and private sector actors involved in the delivery of care interventions.