FAQs: What is unpaid care work and how does it power the economy? – UN Women

Report on Unpaid Care Work and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 The Scope of Unpaid Care Work

Unpaid care work constitutes the essential, yet uncompensated, labor that sustains households, communities, and economies. This work is disproportionately performed by women and girls. Its components include:

• Domestic Tasks: Activities such as cleaning, cooking, washing, and collecting essential resources like water and fuel.
• Direct Personal Care: The raising of children, care for elderly or ill family members, and support for persons with disabilities.
• Cognitive and Community Labor: The “mental load” of organizing household schedules and anticipating needs, as well as voluntary community support such as managing community kitchens or informal childcare networks.

2.0 Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The unequal distribution and lack of recognition for unpaid care work present significant barriers to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The heavy burden of unpaid care work is a primary driver of gender inequality. It results in “time poverty” for women, limiting their access to education, decent employment, political participation, and leisure, thereby hindering the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By remaining uncounted in national economic statistics, the substantial economic value of care work is rendered invisible. This invisibility leads to lost earnings and reduced economic opportunities for caregivers, undermining inclusive and sustainable economic growth and the promotion of decent work for all.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The physically and emotionally demanding nature of caregiving can lead to significant physical strain, stress, and adverse mental health outcomes for caregivers, directly impacting targets related to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The unequal distribution of care responsibilities perpetuates and exacerbates economic and social inequalities within and among countries, as it restricts the social and economic mobility of primary caregivers, who are predominantly women.

3.0 A Framework for Action to Support the SDGs

To mitigate the negative impacts and harness the societal benefits of care work, investment in comprehensive care systems is required. A strategic framework should be adopted to ensure care work is properly valued, which in turn accelerates progress on the SDGs. The key pillars of this framework are:

1. Recognise: Formally acknowledge and measure unpaid care work in economic and social policy.
2. Reduce: Decrease the drudgery and intensity of care work through investment in infrastructure, technology, and public services.
3. Redistribute: Promote the equitable sharing of care responsibilities between men and women and between households and the state.
4. Reward and Represent: Ensure decent work, fair pay, and social protection for paid care workers and guarantee their voice in policy-making.
5. Resource: Allocate adequate and sustainable funding for the development and maintenance of robust care systems.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article’s central theme is unpaid care work, which it states is “mostly done by women and girls.” This directly addresses the unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities, a key barrier to gender equality. The text highlights how this burden leads to “persistent time poverty that narrows many women’s choices and opportunities,” reinforcing gender-based disadvantages.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article connects unpaid care work to economic consequences by mentioning “lost earnings” for caregivers. It also points out that the “true economic and social value” of this work is “hidden and uncounted.” The call to “reward and represent care workers” and invest in care systems suggests a pathway to formalizing care work, creating decent jobs, and enabling women to participate more fully in the economy.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The issues of “lost earnings” and “persistent time poverty” are directly linked to economic vulnerability. By limiting women’s ability to engage in paid work, the heavy burden of unpaid care can trap them and their families in poverty. Investing in care systems, as suggested, can be a poverty reduction strategy.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article explicitly mentions the negative health impacts on caregivers, including “physical effort, emotional strain, [and] stress.” This connects the issue of unpaid care to the well-being of caregivers, which is a core component of SDG 3.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The disproportionate burden of unpaid care on women is a fundamental driver of inequality between genders. By limiting women’s economic opportunities and overall life choices, it perpetuates and widens social and economic gaps. The article’s proposed solutions aim to redistribute this work, thereby reducing a key source of gender-based inequality.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility.

   The article directly aligns with this target by calling for investments in care systems that “recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work.” This mirrors the target’s emphasis on recognizing the value of care work and using policy and services to alleviate the burden.

2. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

   The article’s reference to “lost earnings” for women and the call to “reward and represent care workers” connects to this target. Reducing the unpaid care burden would allow more women to seek “full and productive employment,” and rewarding care workers would contribute to the goal of decent work.

3. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

   The article’s description of the “emotional strain” and “stress” faced by caregivers directly relates to the promotion of mental health and well-being. Addressing the burden of unpaid care is presented as a way to improve the well-being of millions of women.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location.

   This indicator is strongly implied by the article’s references to “long hours” and “persistent time poverty” experienced by women. Measuring the time spent on these activities is the primary way to quantify the problem and track progress on reducing and redistributing the workload.

2. Implied Economic Indicators (e.g., Labour Force Participation Rate by Sex, Gender Pay Gap).

   The mention of “lost earnings” implies the need to measure women’s participation in the paid economy and the wage disparities they face. A reduction in the unpaid care burden should correlate with an increase in female labour force participation and a narrowing of the gender pay gap.

3. Implied Health and Well-being Indicators (e.g., Self-reported levels of stress and well-being).

   The article’s focus on “emotional strain” and “stress” suggests that progress could be measured by tracking the mental health and well-being of caregivers, particularly women. Surveys measuring these subjective states would be relevant indicators.

SDGs, Targets and Indicators Summary

Source: unwomen.org