UN Report Highlights Disproportionate Care Burden on Women as Barrier to Gender Equality

Introduction

A recent report by the United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, released in June 2025, emphasizes the critical impact of unpaid care work on women’s advancement in society. The report underscores the urgent need to recognize, reallocate, and remunerate care work through public investment and structural reforms, aligning with multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Unpaid Care Work and Its Economic Value

• Women perform approximately 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work daily worldwide.
• This unpaid labor contributes an estimated $10.8 trillion annually to the global economy.
• If included in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unpaid childcare and housework would represent about 9% of global GDP.

Gender Discrimination Rooted in Care Responsibilities

The report identifies unpaid care work as both a root cause and consequence of gender discrimination:

1. Women provide three-quarters of unpaid care globally.
2. Care responsibilities often lead women to sacrifice health, education, employment opportunities, and political participation.

Recommendations for Sustainable and Equitable Care Systems

To address these challenges, the report recommends:

• Developing equity- and sustainability-led care systems.
• Increasing government investment in public services related to care.
• Implementing policies that promote the equitable distribution of caregiving responsibilities across all genders.

Institutional Examples Supporting SDG Implementation

The report highlights several national initiatives that align with SDG targets, including:

• Canada: Commitment to providing childcare at $10 per day or less by March 2026, with over half of provinces and territories achieving this as of April 2024.
• China: Article 1088 of the 2020 Civil Code mandates financial compensation for spouses bearing childcare or elderly care responsibilities upon divorce.
• Tunisia: A 2021 law extending social security coverage to individuals providing unpaid care at home.

Linkages to Sustainable Development Goals

Addressing the disproportionate care burden on women contributes directly and indirectly to several SDGs:

1. SDG 5 – Gender Equality: By reducing gender disparities in unpaid care work and promoting women’s empowerment.
2. SDG 1 – No Poverty: Through improved social protection and economic recognition of care work.
3. SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: By alleviating care burdens that affect women’s health.
4. SDG 4 – Quality Education: Enabling women and girls to access education by redistributing care responsibilities.
5. SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Through equitable care policies and social security measures.

Conclusion

The UN report calls for transformative action to integrate unpaid care work into economic and social frameworks. Strengthening care systems is essential not only for achieving gender equality but also for advancing broader sustainable development objectives, fostering inclusive growth, and enhancing social protection worldwide.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article focuses on discrimination against women and girls, unpaid care work predominantly done by women, and the need for gender equality in caregiving responsibilities.
2. SDG 1: No Poverty – By addressing unpaid care work and advocating for remuneration and social security, the article links to poverty reduction.
3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article mentions the health sacrifices women make due to unpaid care work.
4. SDG 4: Quality Education – The article highlights that women may sacrifice education due to care responsibilities.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article calls for structural reforms and equitable care systems to reduce inequalities.
6. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Recognizing and remunerating unpaid care work relates to decent work and economic inclusion.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 5 – Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through public services, infrastructure, social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and family.
2. SDG 1 – Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including social protection floors.
3. SDG 3 – Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection and access to quality essential health-care services.
4. SDG 4 – Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education.
5. SDG 10 – Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of gender.
6. SDG 8 – Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

• Hours of Unpaid Care Work: The article quantifies 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work daily, which can be used as an indicator to measure the burden of unpaid care on women.
• Economic Value of Unpaid Care Work: Estimated at $10.8 trillion annually and around 9% of global GDP, this economic valuation can serve as an indicator of the contribution of unpaid care work to the economy.
• Access to Affordable Childcare: The example of Canada’s $10-a-day childcare target and its progress by provinces and territories implies an indicator measuring affordable childcare access.
• Legal and Social Protection Measures: Presence of laws such as China’s Civil Code article 1088 and Tunisia’s social security extension for unpaid carers can be indicators of institutional support for unpaid care work.
• Gender Distribution of Care Responsibilities: The report’s call for policies encouraging shared caregiving responsibilities implies measuring the proportion of care work done by different genders.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: jurist.org