A report by Oxfam has attributed unpaid and underpaid work by women as a factor to economic inequality in Malawi and across the world. According to The report titled “Time to Care” says women and girls are among those who benefit least from today’s economic system.

In the report, Oxfam India Chief Executive Officer, Amitabh Behar, said that unpaid care work is the ‘hidden engine’ that keeps the wheels of economies, businesses and societies moving.

The report follows as Malawi has seen various strides in involving women in various business endeavors. Last year, during the fourth conference on women in agribusiness in Durban, women in agribusiness were to urged maximise utilisation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). On the other hand, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) launched a digital platform specifically designed to address the information needs of women in business and connect them via a custom-built social network.

According to a statement by Comesa, the platform primarily seeks to economically empower women by providing a one-stop shop for a wide range of financial and non-financial services that women need to start and grow successful businesses.