FIAN International’s Post

Care work, both paid and unpaid, is crucial to the future of decent work. Closing gaps in care policies and investing in quality and affordable care services could particularly benefit #women, generate substantial earnings for women workers, and positively impact tax revenues and the self-financing potential of care investments. On this #InternationalDayofCareandSupport, we shine the spotlight on the innovative policy tool developed by UN Women-International Labour Organization to support policymakers to identify the extent of current care service coverage gaps, estimate the investment needed to fill these gaps, and understand what the potential social and economic returns are across a range of policy objectives: http://shorturl.at/ePFVp #carework #careeconomy #decentwork Valeria Esquivel Mia Seppo, United Nations Human Rights, International Trade Union Confederation - ITUC, International Labour Organization Cairo Office, ILO Horn of Africa, ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, ILO Office for the United States and Canada, OIT - Organización Internacional del Trabajo - América Latina y el Caribe, International Domestic Workers Federation

On the second annual International Day of Care and Support, the United States recognizes the foundational role of care infrastructure in the global economy and honors the vital role that care workers play in our global society. Unpaid care work amounts to $11 trillion, or nearly nine percent, of global GDP. Women perform more than three times the total hours of unpaid care work compared to men, fueling discriminatory expectations. We are proud to collaborate with governments, the private sector, workers, labor unions, and civil society to advance the care economy and support women’s economic participation. https://lnkd.in/e_EpvKW3

The Gender Pay gap report that preceded this new report already showed that the European Region had the highest share of women in the health and care workforce with rates as high as 77%. Recognizing this and the value of this work on and off the clock can help our health systems be more resilient and attractive as a place to work. This work is complex requiring time and patience that cannot continue to cost women their income, pensions, promotions, and dignity. Sadly, the current numbers like the very high gender pay gap- higher than any other sector- are showing a different story. They show just how poorly we value the work of women who are in the health sector and this cascades to even less value placed on the work women do informally. We don’t have a choice in this matter if we are serious about creating resilient and thriving health systems, building dignity and value in the health sector and ultimately meeting the needs of our people and communities. Taking time to build gender equitable health systems goes beyond the health sector, it builds healthier and more equal societies. I’m so proud to say our #healthandcareworkforce team takes this seriously and works closely with countries to capture the data of just how much women in our health sectors shoulder the shortcomings of our systems so countries can partake in more informed dialog and better decision making. #valueofcare #fairshare #genderequity #resilienthealthsystems #timetoact Natasha Azzopardi Muscat Tomas Zapata Isabel Yordi Aguirre Christine Brown Milena Selivanov Sulakshana Nandi Cris Scotter Alba Llop-Gironés Stefania Ilinca

Unpaid care work keeps millions of women out of the labour force. ☝️ According to the latest International Labour Organization estimates, 708 million women worldwide are unable to participate in paid employment due to care responsibilities — compared to 40 million men. Data from 125 countries shows care responsibilities (i.e., child-rearing, care and support for persons with disabilities and those in need of long-term care, housekeeping, and other care responsibilities) are the main barrier preventing women from entering and staying in the workforce, while men often report other reasons such as education and health issues. 🌍 Worldwide, 1.6 billion women and 800 million men are outside the labor force, with 45% of women and 5% of men attributing this to care responsibilities. Here are quick stats on women outside the labor force due to caregiving responsibilities: ▫️ Northern Africa: 63% ▫️ Arab States: 59% ▫️ Asia and the Pacific: 52% ▫️ Latin America and the Caribbean: 47% ▫️ Northern America: 19% ▫️ Europe and Central Asia: 21% ▫️ Eastern Europe at 11% As the demand for care grows, it’s clear we urgently need policies that support the care economy and foster opportunities for all. 🔗 Learn more about these new findings and how to drive change >> https://lnkd.in/eZkvTggx #WomenInWorkforce #CareEconomy #Care #Support #LabourForce

Did you know, according to United Nations, 🔴 The global care workforce comprises 249 million women and 132 million men. 🔴 By 2030, the number of care recipients is predicted to reach 2.3 billion, driven by an additional 0.1 billion older persons and an additional 0.1 billion children aged 6 to 14 years. 🔴 Women perform 76.2% of the total amount of unpaid care work, 3.2 times more time than men. We recognize the pivotal role the Care Economy plays in shaping a sustainable future for work, especially as we prepare to join the global community in observing International Day of Care and Support today, October 29th. The demand for care services is on the rise, posing an urgent need for innovative solutions to support both paid and unpaid care work. This growing sector is crucial in addressing gender inequalities and ensuring protection and fair compensation for care workers. Our work at VMG is deeply aligned with these objectives, as we aim to drive systemic change and enhance the resilience of care systems around the world. We are committed to collaborating with governments, organizations, and individual stakeholders to develop gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and age-sensitive care policies. By prioritizing an equitable care economy, we can foster economic stability and promote human rights across all demographics. 🙌🏾 Join us on this transformative journey to recognize and elevate the essential contributions of care workers. Let’s work together to ensure that care activities are recognized, valued, and supported, creating a better future for all. https://lnkd.in/eebg7xia #CareEconomy #VMGImpact #UnitedNations

This afternoon at 3 PM, critical issues of governance, public service, and the welfare of vulnerable groups will take center stage in the National Assembly. Cluster 3 ministers will be fielding questions on the state of service delivery, government accountability, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Key ministers expected to respond include: ➡️ The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs ➡️ The Minister in The Presidency (GCIS), Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation ➡️ The Minister of Public Service and Administration ➡️ The Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities This session comes at a time when the nation is grappling with multiple service delivery crises, and concerns around the state’s ability to protect women, youth, and persons with disabilities remain front and center. The ministers will be called upon to explain their strategies to address these pressing challenges, especially in light of recent public criticism. Will we see concrete commitments and accountability, or will more questions arise? Stay tuned for critical updates as Parliament navigates these high-stakes discussions. #ParliamentInFocus #Governance #ServiceDelivery #Accountability #WomenAndYouth #PublicService #Leadership

🔊 Every day, women around the world spend an average of 2.4 hours more on unpaid care work than men. This additional labor sustains families and communities, but remains undervalued, invisible and a key barrier to women's full participation in the workforce. Watch the live recording of our session "Care Economy: from Duty to Opportunity for Women’s Economic Empowerment" from our ICR4WEE Conference to learn how government-led policies on parental leave and childcare provision are critical for bridging this gap. 📃 Our session starts with a keynote presentation by Addys Then Marte, Vice Minister of Women’s Affairs of the Dominican Republic, as she outlines her country’s recent efforts to tackle the challenges of paid and unpaid care work, and supporting women’s economic participation. By addressing the current imbalance, we can redistribute responsibilities more equitably, allowing women more time for paid work, education, and personal growth. Let's turn those extra 2.4 hours into shared opportunities for progress and equality, ensuring everyone can contribute fully to society. 💡 🔗Watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/eFp_qyyy 🎤 Holly Krueger Marina Elefante Asayya Imaya bamie sesay Addys Then Marte Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH British Council Expertise France SNV

Happy International Women’s Day (8 March) 2024 !!💙🌷💚-----------------------------------------------------------------------✍️ in The Asian Age ⏰ 08 March 2018💕[Ref: https://lnkd.in/gpa_W8Vj]"In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the need to evaluate the impact of women's leadership on democracy and development. It is evident that with at least a 30 percent majority of women involved in decision-making, a society's overall performance in the areas of health, education, family care, social welfare, the environment etc. improves. By contrast, countries with a low participation of women have seen a fall in the quality of these social-related services."🔵[To read more: https://lnkd.in/ewSPTvY]

International Day of Care and Support 29 October 2024 https://lnkd.in/eR5nsmkQ "International Day of Care and Support The International Labour Organization (ILO) will mark International Day of Care and Support 2024 by spotlighting the Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Care Economy, adopted by the ILO International Labour Conference in June 2024. Mindful of the need to invest in the care economy and to create robust, resilient and gender-responsive, disability-inclusive and age-sensitive care and support systems with full respect for human rights with a view to recognizing, reducing, valuing and redistributing unpaid care and domestic work and support, the General Assembly decided to proclaim 29 October as International Day of Care and Support. It also stressed the need to recognize and value paid care work and care workers as essential workers and the need to adopt measures that combat gender stereotypes related to care and support, as well as those related to, inter alia, race, ethnicity, age and migratory status, to reduce occupational segregation for care work, facilitate the transition from informal to formal work and decent work, including with regard to paid care and domestic work, and create quality jobs in the care economy and increase the rewards and representation of paid domestic workers, including care workers, as well as the need to realize women’s right to work and rights at work for those with care responsibilities, including equal pay for work of equal value. The Assembly invited stakeholders to observe the International Day of Care and Support on an annual basis in an appropriate manner in order to raise awareness of the importance of care and support and its key contribution to the achievement of gender equality and the sustainability of our societies and economies, as well as of the need to invest in a resilient and inclusive care economy, including the development of strong and resilient care and support systems."

Care work is essential to well-functioning economies, yet it is too often unrecognised. And, as women take on the greatest burden of unpaid care work with a global average of 76% compared to 24% for men, this limits their ability to fulfil their economic potential. An urgent transformation in economic and business environment policymaking is required, according to our latest research. Read our ICR Story "Society’s hidden power: the care economy" here ➡ https://lnkd.in/eR_sTgb2 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, British Council, Expertise France, SNV