This report takes a comprehensive look at unpaid and paid care work and its relationship with the changing world of work. It analyses the ways in which unpaid care work is recognized and organized, the extent and quality of care jobs and their impact on the well-being of individuals and society. A key focus of this report is the persistent gender inequalities in households and the labour market, which are inextricably linked with care work. These gender inequalities must be overcome to make care work decent and to ensure a future of decent work for both women and men. The report details a set
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This report takes a comprehensive look at unpaid and paid care work and its relationship with the changing world of work. It analyses the ways in which unpaid care work is recognized and organized, the extent and quality of care jobs and their impact on the well-being of individuals and society. A key focus of this report is the persistent gender inequalities in households and the labour market, which are inextricably linked with care work. These gender inequalities must be overcome to make care work decent and to ensure a future of decent work for both women and men. The report details a set of transformative policy measures in five main areas: care, macroeconomics, labour, social protection and migration. The aim of these policies is to promote the recognition of the value of unpaid care work, the reduction of the drudgery of certain of its forms and the redistribution of care responsibilities between women and men, and between households and the State. These policies also need to generate more and better quality care jobs, and support the representation of unpaid carers, care workers and care recipients in social dialogue. The report affirms that the availability of good-quality and affordable publicly provided care services, policies and infrastructure is of vital importance.
To support these policy recommendations, the report presents a wealth of original data drawn from over 90 countries around the world. These data cover a range of issues, including: (1) how changes in the size and structure of households - due to demographic, migration and labour market transformations - are altering the care needs landscape; (2) the magnitude and value of unpaid care work, its unequal distribution between women and men, and its impact on gender inequalities in employment; (3) the role of care policies in achieving positive well-being and employment outcomes for care recipients and care providers, and a review of care policy coverage across the world; (4) the magnitude and employment distribution of the care workforce and working conditions of care workers in the health and social work and education sectors and in domestic work; and (5) the potential for decent care job creation offered by remedying current care deficits and meeting the related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The report concludes with policy guidance aimed at ILO constituents based on the data analysed and an extensive review of country experiences.
Published abstract.
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