Feminism as a labour instrument: Advancing workers’ rights and decent work in Africa
Africa’s labour market is changing fast, but one question remains stubbornly relevant: who gets a fair chance at work? For millions of women, having a job does not always mean having decent work. Low pay, unsafe conditions, unpaid care responsibilities, weak social protection and limited representation continue to shape everyday working life.
This is where feminism can become more than a campaign for equality. It can become a practical labour instrument for making work fairer, safer and more dignified.
A feminist approach to labour starts with a simple idea: every form of work deserves recognition. Across Africa, women are heavily represented in domestic work, informal trading, agriculture, caregiving and other jobs that often fall outside strong labour protection. Yet these workers keep homes running, feed cities, sustain markets and support national economies. If their work matters to society, their rights must matter too.
South Africa offers a useful example. Domestic work has historically been associated with low wages and limited protection, especially for Black women. Over time, reforms introduced minimum-wage protection and brought domestic workers into unemployment insurance arrangements.
The message was important: a domestic worker is not simply a “helper” in someone’s home; she is a worker with rights, dignity and a claim to social protection.
Zimbabwe provides another practical lesson. In Masvingo, initiatives to create safer market spaces for women informal traders have focused on sheltered stalls, water and sanitation. For women who spend long hours selling in open markets, decent work is not an abstract slogan. It can mean having a safe place to trade, protection from harassment and basic facilities that make daily work more humane.
Care responsibilities are another major barrier. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a daycare initiative for domestic workers shows how labour policy can respond to the realities of women’s lives. Childcare can determine whether a woman is able to work consistently, pursue better opportunities or remain trapped between earning an income and caring for her family. Supporting care, therefore, is also supporting decent work.
New forms of employment bring new challenges. In Kenya, women working through digital labour platforms have gained access to income opportunities, but concerns remain around earnings, social security and recognition as workers. Feminist labour thinking asks the right questions: Who benefits from technology? Who carries the risks? And are women receiving equal protection in the new digital economy?
Ghana is also placing renewed attention on decent work, jobs, social protection and fair labour practices. This creates an opportunity to ensure that women in informal work, agriculture, small businesses and care-related occupations are not left at the edge of labour policy.
The bigger lesson is clear: feminism in the workplace is not about giving women special treatment. It is about correcting systems that have often treated certain forms of work and certain workers as less important.
Trade unions can strengthen women’s leadership. Governments can extend social protection to informal workers. Employers can improve pay, safety and family-friendly conditions. Women workers themselves must also have a stronger voice in decisions that affect them.
Africa cannot build inclusive economies while millions of workers remain invisible. Decent work must reach the market stall, the farm, the household, the factory, the office and the digital platform. When feminism helps make that happen, it becomes not only a movement for women, but a powerful instrument for the dignity and rights of all workers.
BY PATRICIA MUAH
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