abstract: 'Despite evidence from other regions, researchers and policy-makers

  remain skeptical that women''s disproportionate childcare

  responsibilities act as a significant barrier to women''s economic

  empowerment in Africa. This randomized control trial study in an

  informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, demonstrates that limited access

  to affordable early childcare inhibits poor urban women''s participation

  in paid work. Women who were offered vouchers for subsidized early

  childcare were, on average, 8.5 percentage points more likely to be

  employed than those who were not given vouchers. Most of these

  employment gains were realized by married mothers. Single mothers, in

  contrast, benefited by significantly reducing the time spent working

  without any loss to their earnings by shifting to jobs with more regular

  hours. The effects on other measures of women''s economic empowerment

  were mixed. With the exception of children''s health care, access to

  subsidized daycare did not increase women''s participation in other

  important household decisions. In addition, contrary to concerns that

  reducing the costs of childcare may elevate women''s desire for more

  children, we find no effect on women''s fertility intentions. These

  findings demonstrate that the impact of subsidized childcare differs by

  marital status and across outcomes. Nonetheless, in poor urban Africa,

  as elsewhere, failure to address women''s childcare needs undermines

  efforts to promote women''s economic empowerment.'
affiliation: 'Clark, S (Corresponding Author), McGill Univ, Peterson Hall,3460 McTavish,
  Montreal, PQ H3A 0E6, Canada.

  Clark, Shelley; Laszlo, Sonia, McGill Univ, Peterson Hall,3460 McTavish, Montreal,
  PQ H3A 0E6, Canada.

  Kabiru, Caroline W.; Muthuri, Stella, African Populat \& Hlth Res Ctr, APHRC Campus,2nd
  Floor,Kirawa Rd,POB 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.'
author: Clark, Shelley and Kabiru, Caroline W. and Laszlo, Sonia and Muthuri, Stella
author-email: shelley.clark@mcgill.ca
author_list:
- family: Clark
  given: Shelley
- family: Kabiru
  given: Caroline W.
- family: Laszlo
  given: Sonia
- family: Muthuri
  given: Stella
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/s13524-019-00793-3
eissn: 1533-7790
files: []
issn: 0070-3370
journal: DEMOGRAPHY
keywords: 'Childcare; Women''s economic empowerment; Employment; Daycares;

  Sub-Saharan Africa'
keywords-plus: 'FERTILITY; PRESCHOOL; MOTHERS; POLICY; EXPENDITURE; COUNTRIES; NAIROBI;

  HEALTH'
language: English
month: AUG
number: '4'
number-of-cited-references: '73'
pages: 1247-1272
papis_id: 26e624ef025d48693a077453ce10a5ec
ref: Clark2019impactchildcare
researcherid-numbers: Kabiru, Caroline/A-7003-2015
times-cited: '36'
title: The Impact of Childcare on Poor Urban Women's Economic Empowerment in Africa
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000477948500004
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '19'
volume: '56'
web-of-science-categories: Demography
year: '2019'