Paper short abstract:

Although historically unpaid and volunteer labour has often been undertaken by women, in Dar es Salaam there appear to be new and emerging patterns of young male volunteerism. This paper explores what this says about gendered divisions of labour in a rapidly changing urban context.

Paper long abstract:

Contrary to historical patterns of the gendered division of labour my research with two grass-roots community organisations in Dar es Salaam found them to be run by young male volunteers. I reflect upon the differences between this work and the work of other voluntary organisations such as savings co-operatives, as well as upon demographic differences between groups. Dar es Salaam is a rapidly growing mega-city in Tanzania; a country where the average age is just under eighteen. I suggest that greater exposure to the global narratives of international NGOs influence younger generations much more so than older ones, as well as subtly shifting gendered notions of work, social acceptability, power and status. I also suggest that there are hints of men taking on certain tasks that may traditionally be assigned to women, such as cooking and cleaning within organisations as well as beginning to take on some emotional labour, particularly in instances where young men work directly with (even) younger people and see themselves in paternal or protective roles. Although shifting gendered divisions of labour could tentatively be considered positive; men willing to take on women's work in certain contexts does not guarantee women the same freedom the other way around. I explore what these changes mean for the gendered division of unpaid labour in a rapidly changing urban context.