International Day For Care And Support, 29 October 2024

29 October 2024

This 29 October marks the second observance of the UN’s International Day for Care and Support—a global day of action initiated years ago by the trade union movement to accelerate public investments in the care economy.

Care work is essential for human, social, economic, and environmental well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that care work—both paid and unpaid—enables all other forms of work.

However, disparities in paid and unpaid care work persist, with women bearing most responsibilities. This work is undervalued and often deemed unskilled.

Millions of care workers operate in challenging conditions with low pay and inadequate protections, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, especially domestic, community health, and migrant care workers.

The disproportionate burden of unpaid care work on women affects their ability to enter, stay, and advance in paid employment.

In calling for a New Social Contract, as highlighted in the outcome document of the 4th ITUC World Women’s Conference (2022), care workers and workers with caregiving responsibilities, along with their unions, have organised and advocated globally for decent work in the care sector. They underscore care’s importance for gender equality and the need to future-proof economies through increased public investment in quality care services.

We call on governments to foster:

• Increased public investments in the care sector.

Public investments in the care economy - as part of the national governments GDP – creating million of new jobs, granting women economic participation and guaranteeing universal access to quality public health, education and care services.

• Adoption of CARE policies.

Inclusive labour market policies, family-friendly workplace polices, and gender responsive social protection grant a more equitable sharing of care responsibilities and promote flexible working arrangements on a gender-neutral basis.

• Decent work for all care workers.

Care jobs need to be formal and decent, with safe working conditions, and adequately remunerated, including equal pay for work of equal value. Care workers must be free from gender-based violence and harassment, and from any type of discrimination. Care workers must be free to organize and to bargain collectively.

The landmark ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy, agreed upon by governments, employers, and workers in June 2024, emphasises the interconnectedness of decent work, gender equality, quality care provision, just transition, sustainable development, and the care economy. It also reaffirms the necessity for urgent action to ensure decent work in the care economy and promote decent work for all by ensuring their access to care.

It is essential that government policies and actions on care align with this Resolution, implementing care economy frameworks that promote a rights-based approach based on International Labour Standards, social dialogue, and the ILO’s 5R Framework on Decent Care Work.

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