The Africa Leadership Foundation (ALF) is intensifying its efforts to empower young advocates to tackle the complex issues surrounding unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) across Africa, as part of the ongoing WE-Care Program.

At the forefront of this initiative is the African Youth Network on Unpaid Care and Domestic Work Advocates (AYNUA), a dynamic platform launched in March 2024. AYNUA is designed to enable young people to drive change on UCDW issues from the grassroots to the policy level.

Since its launch, AYNUA has fostered a vibrant community of engaged youth advocates who are actively collaborating and learning through the network’s official WhatsApp platform. To ensure the network effectively serves its members, an expectation matrix was developed and analyzed between March and May 2024, guiding the development of targeted activities.

A key outcome of these efforts is the launch of the WhatsApp Learning Series. Two successful series have been conducted to date:

• WhatsApp Learning Series 1 on UCDW (June 4, 2024): This session featured a UN Women video on UCDW, sparking in-depth discussions and experience-sharing among participants.
• WhatsApp Learning Series 2 on Positive and Toxic Masculinity (July 5, 2024): This series explored the impact of masculinity on gender equality and domestic responsibilities, promoting positive masculinity as a means to encourage shared responsibility in unpaid care work. The session featured insights from a presentation by Paul Vingi, Gender Justice Advisor at Oxfam in Africa, drawn from the 2022 Regional Youth Dialogues on Positive Masculinity.

Beyond the structured learning series, the WhatsApp platform continues to serve as a vital space for ongoing dialogue, enabling youth advocates to exchange ideas, share best practices, and develop strategies to advance UCDW advocacy across the continent. These exchanges are crucial for maintaining momentum and driving collective action within the network.

As the WE-Care Program moves into its next phase, the Africa Leadership Foundation reaffirms its commitment to supporting these young leaders. ALF recognizes the critical role these advocates play in addressing UCDW and advancing gender equality across Africa. AYNUA represents a significant step towards building a movement of empowered youth who are determined to create lasting change.