Redistribution of Care Responsibilities: Why Engaging Men and Boys Matters

Reflections from International Men’s Day 2025-Celebrating Men and Boys

On November 19th, 2025, the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) in partnership with Wow Mom and with the support from Metropolis, convened a workshop to commemorate International Men’s Day under the theme "Celebrating Men and Boys." The event brought together key stakeholders, including SHOFCO, Kenya Red Cross, Giving Light to Society, Jafari Jata Solution, Wazi Kenya, New Dawn for Men Community Organization and Vijana Amani Pamoja. The workshop was held as part of the ongoing project, “Mainstreaming Care: Strengthening Nairobi City County Government’s Capacity to Enhance Care Services through Increased Budgets and Policy Implementation,” which strives to embed care work within Nairobi’s planning, policy and service delivery frameworks. Participants reflected on the roles men and boys play across family and society, underscoring the importance and benefits of inclusive and compassionate masculinities. 

As part of the workshop’s core objective, ‘to improve gender relations and promote gender equality,’ and ‘to promote male engagement in Care Work,’ discussions drew attention to care work as a key yet often overlooked pillar of economic participation and social well-being. Despite its significance, care work remains largely unrecognized, undervalued, and unevenly distributed.

Cultural Norms and Gender Roles: Understanding the Challenge

Cultural norms and deeply ingrained gender roles play a critical role in shaping how care work, both paid and unpaid, is assigned, valued, and distributed. In many households, women are expected to take primary responsibility for caregiving, particularly childcare, while men are often positioned as decision-makers and breadwinners. These societal expectations establish a significant gap in caregiving participation, leaving women to bear the disproportionate burden of unpaid Care Work.

Despite persistent advocacy on the need to redistribute care responsibilities, women continue to carry the burden of unpaid caregiving. This imbalance not only limits their opportunities for leadership, personal well-being, and economic participation but also has far-reaching effects on communities and the economy. According to the 2021 Kenya Time Use Survey by KNBS, women spend an average of 4 hours and 30 minutes per day on unpaid domestic and Care Work, compared with just 54 minutes for men. These essential tasks, including childcare, eldercare, meal preparation, and household management, sustain families and communities, yet remain largely unrecognized in economic and policy frameworks. This persistent gender gap in care work accentuates why engaging men and boys is crucial. Without their participation, efforts to achieve gender equality and promote inclusive social and economic development remain incomplete.

Awareness Versus Practice and the Case for Redistribution 

Despite growing recognition of the importance of shared caregiving, translating awareness into sustained action remains a persistent challenge. Structural and social barriers, including workplace cultures that discourage men from taking parental leave, the limited visibility of positive role models for engaged fatherhood, and the stigma associated with men assuming care responsibilities, continue to constrain men’s active and meaningful participation in caregiving, thereby perpetuating the disproportionate burden of care shouldered by women. 

Findings from Dalberg Research’s baseline report, “Driving Equality: Availing Affordable And Accessible Childcare Services in Market Centres in Nairobi,” indicate that men’s engagement in childcare remains largely financial, with 62% focused on financing children’s education. Albeit valuable, this limited involvement upholds customary gender roles, allowing men’s participation to remain transactional rather than transformative, and ultimately leaves women carrying the overwhelming responsibility for daily childcare.

Through the International Men’s Day workshop, Wow Mom and NCCG aligned with the 5Rs of Care framework, which includes (Recognise, Reduce, Redistribute, Represent and Reward). The workshop focused on Redistribution aimed at sensitizing men and boys on Care Work as a shared responsibility rather than a “woman’s work” through the transformation of cultural norms and power relations to ensure that care responsibilities are shared fairly and sustainably. Participants reflected on the Care Work undertaken at home and explored ways to share responsibilities more equitably, demonstrating how advocacy frameworks can translate into meaningful action that strengthens gender relations and promotes shared caregiving.

Why Men and Boys’ Engagement Matters

A shared responsibility between men and women allows women significant opportunities for well-being, mentally, emotionally and financially.

When care is redistributed:

• Women can pursue careers, take on leadership roles contribute more to household income.
• Men experience richer relationships with their children and partners.
• Children grow up with balanced role models and develop stronger emotional connections.
• Families become more cohesive, healthier, and financially stable.

Recognizing and celebrating men and boys also means fostering environments where they are supported and encouraged to participate in Care Work.

Moving Forward: From Reflection to Action

Grounded in evidence from the research, “The State of Care in Nairobi City County—2025: A High-Level Assessment of Care Gaps, Policies and Opportunities,-the present Nairobi State of Care Report 2026," the workshop’s discussions align closely with the critical analytical foundation for translating care commitments into action. The research presents context-specific recommendations that respond to Nairobi’s care realities, offering practical pathways such as strengthening partnerships, community engagement, and social norm change by engaging men and boys in care programs, including domestic work and parenting.

Building on the outcomes of the workshop, Wow Mom, in collaboration with NCCG, with support from Metropolis, continues to advance care-responsive systems that formally recognize, reduce, and redistribute Care Work. These advances require:

•  Policy reforms: Parental leave for all, flexible work arrangements, and care-responsive public services.
• Community role models: Celebrating men who are hands-on fathers and caregivers.
• Continuous dialogues: Creating safe spaces for men to talk about care, masculinity, and responsibility in an attempt to change the social norms.

This partnership demonstrates that advancing care requires a sustained long-term commitment that must be embedded across public institutions and social structures.