In a collaborative effort, Oxfam in Africa, the WE-Care Program, and Oxfam in Canada organized a face-to-face meeting to review, reflect, and plan for the strategic deepening of regional care advocacy in the African continent. Held from 25 to 27 November 2024 at the Sun Square Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, the meeting provided a platform for sharing successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the ongoing Care Advocacy Grant. The meeting aimed to provide an opportunity to take stock of the progress made with the implementation of the Care Advocacy Grant, which has been running for the past 10 months. The meeting also sought to advance areas of mutual learning and collaboration with the Hewlett-funded WE-Care Program, while also looking at issues, such as the future of care work in a decolonized world, shifting power, and shaping African narratives around care work.

The Care Advocacy Grant is a project focused on promoting the recognition, reduction, representation and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work, as well as the formalization, professionalization, and dignified work for paid care workers in Africa. The meeting was attended by participants (partners and Oxfam) from Senegal, Nigeria, Niger, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Oxfam International, and Oxfam in Africa.

Moving forward, participants affirmed that care work is a crucial issue for Africa, requiring stronger collaborations to advance recognition, reduction, representation, redistribution, and rewarding of care work. The WE-Care Program and the Deepening Advocacy Program will continue to synergize and leverage resources to ensure program continuity.

For questions, reach out to Paul Vingi at pvingi@oxfam.org.uk.