What's Happening?
Oxfam International is actively recruiting a WE-CARE Program Manager to lead its multi-country initiative across Africa. This program is dedicated to advancing gender justice, women's economic rights, and feminist approaches to development. The WE-CARE program specifically
aims to promote the recognition, reduction, and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work, while simultaneously strengthening the voice, agency, and influence of women and girls. The role is flexible in terms of location within Africa, with a preference for candidates based in Southern Africa or Kenya, in countries where Oxfam maintains an office. This position is a fixed-term, one-year contract and requires the successful applicant to have legal authorization to work in their country of residence, as relocation and work permit sponsorship are not provided. The Program Manager will be responsible for strategic program leadership, financial management, donor compliance, and overall operational accountability for the WE-CARE program across participating countries, which include Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
Why It's Important?
This recruitment highlights Oxfam's continued commitment to addressing systemic inequalities and promoting gender justice in Africa. The WE-CARE program's focus on unpaid care and domestic work is crucial because these responsibilities disproportionately fall on women and girls, limiting their educational, economic, and social opportunities. By working to recognize, reduce, and redistribute this labor, Oxfam aims to unlock women's potential and foster more equitable societies. The program's multi-country approach signifies a broad regional strategy to tackle these issues, acknowledging that challenges related to gender inequality often transcend national borders. The successful implementation of such initiatives can lead to significant improvements in women's economic empowerment, health outcomes, and overall societal development, contributing to long-term stability and prosperity in the region. The emphasis on feminist, locally led, and transformative approaches underscores a commitment to empowering local communities and ensuring sustainable change.
What's Next?
The immediate next step is the selection and onboarding of the WE-CARE Program Manager. Once in place, the manager will be tasked with providing operational leadership, coordinating program activities across multiple African countries, and ensuring compliance with donor commitments. This will involve developing integrated work plans, managing budgets, and overseeing financial reporting. The program will continue its efforts in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, focusing on evidence generation, social norms transformation, policy influencing, and strengthening women's voices. Future activities will likely include ongoing engagement with local partners, advocacy for policy reforms related to unpaid care, and continued resource mobilization to sustain and expand the program's reach. Oxfam will also focus on documenting best practices and lessons learned to inform future program design and advocacy efforts, aiming for broader systemic change in gender equality across the continent.
Beyond the Headlines
The WE-CARE program's emphasis on unpaid care work delves into a fundamental yet often overlooked aspect of gender inequality. Beyond the immediate economic implications, the unequal distribution of care responsibilities perpetuates societal norms that undervalue women's contributions and limit their public participation. Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach that challenges traditional gender roles, advocates for supportive public policies such as affordable childcare and parental leave, and promotes men's involvement in caregiving. The program's focus on feminist approaches suggests a commitment to power-sharing and ensuring that the voices of women and marginalized groups are central to decision-making. This initiative could trigger broader cultural shifts by raising awareness about the economic and social value of care work, potentially leading to more equitable household dynamics and greater recognition of women's roles in national development. The long-term impact could be a redefinition of societal values concerning labor, family, and gender equity.
