Review and Development of the We-care Training Manual

1. **About WE-Care**

The Women’s Economic Empowerment and Care (WE-Care) programme is Oxfam’s flagship initiative to increase women’s and girls’ time and choice to participate in social, economic, and political life by transforming how unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) is valued, eased, shared, voiced, and invested in. The programme is grounded in feminist, rights-based and systems-transformative approaches that position care as a public good and a central pillar of social and economic justice. Delivered through a partner led model, the programme works with local organisations that have varying levels of expertise across policies, systems, expertise, and operations.

Over the years, WE Care has increased the recognition of unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) in public policy; reduced the burden of time intensive UCDW through investments in essential public services and infrastructure; promoted a more equitable sharing of care responsibilities between men and women, as well as between households and the state; and ensured that women with caregiving responsibilities are meaningfully represented in the planning and implementation of budgets and policies that affect their lives. Launched in 2013, the programme has evolved through multiple phases and funding cycles, expanding its impact across the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

Now in its fifth phase, officially launched in September 2023, the programme is currently being implemented in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya with strong linkages to Africa region and Global spaces. This phase places strong emphasis on supporting policy engagement through having dialogues with governments and public institutions, building care champions, and linking national advocacy efforts to regional and global platforms. The programme further seeks to shift social norms, influence economic empowerment and social policy agendas, and strengthen feminist movements advocating for equitable care systems.