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

Report on Unpaid Care Work and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Defining Unpaid Care Work

Unpaid care work is the foundational, yet often invisible, labor that sustains households, communities, and economies. This work, predominantly performed by women and girls, is essential for social well-being and economic stability. Its scope includes:

• Household Management: Activities such as cleaning, cooking, washing, and collecting essential resources like water and fuel.
• Direct Personal Care: The nurturing and support of dependents, including raising children, caring for elderly or ill relatives, and assisting persons with disabilities.
• Cognitive and Emotional Labor: The “mental load” of organizing schedules, anticipating needs, and managing household well-being.
• Community Service: Voluntary contributions such as managing community kitchens, organizing informal childcare, and maintaining social support networks.

2.0 Unpaid Care Work as a Barrier to Gender Equality (SDG 5)

The disproportionate burden of unpaid care work on women and girls is a primary driver of gender inequality, directly impeding the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5. This imbalance systematically undermines progress in several key areas:

• Target 5.4: The failure to recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work perpetuates gender stereotypes and economic disparity. The work’s essential social and economic value remains unquantified and uncompensated, hindering the promotion of shared responsibility.
• Economic Empowerment: Time poverty, resulting from long hours dedicated to care, restricts women’s access to paid employment, education, and civic participation, limiting their economic independence and opportunities.
• Health and Well-being: The physical effort and emotional strain associated with intensive caregiving lead to significant stress and adverse health outcomes for women.

3.0 Socio-Economic Implications and Related SDGs

The unequal distribution of care work has far-reaching consequences that impact multiple Sustainable Development Goals, hindering inclusive and sustainable development.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Lost earnings and limited career progression due to care responsibilities can trap women and their families in cycles of poverty, exacerbating both gender and economic inequalities.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By limiting female labor force participation, economies fail to utilize their full human capital potential. Valuing and formalizing care work can create decent jobs and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): While care work is essential for the health of children, the elderly, and the sick, the lack of support for caregivers compromises their own physical and mental well-being.

4.0 Recommendations for a Sustainable Care Economy

To address these challenges and accelerate progress on the SDGs, investment in comprehensive care systems is imperative. A strategic framework should be adopted to transform the care economy, focusing on the following pillars:

1. Recognise: Formally acknowledge and measure unpaid care work in national statistics and economic valuations to make its contribution visible.
2. Reduce: Decrease the drudgery and time spent on care work through investments in public services and infrastructure.
3. Redistribute: Promote shared responsibility for care work between men and women within households and between families and the state through social protection policies.
4. Reward and Represent: Ensure decent work for paid care workers, including fair wages, social protection, and representation in policy-making processes.
5. Resource: Allocate adequate public funding to build and sustain robust, gender-responsive care systems that benefit caregivers, care recipients, and society as a whole.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on unpaid care work directly and indirectly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by highlighting the social and economic consequences of the unequal distribution of these essential tasks.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The article explicitly states that unpaid care work is “mostly done by women and girls” and that this burden leads to “persistent time poverty that narrows many women’s choices and opportunities.” The entire premise of recognizing, reducing, and redistributing this work is central to achieving gender equality.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article touches upon the economic aspects of care work, noting its “true economic and social value” is “hidden and uncounted.” It also points to the negative impact on caregivers, such as “lost earnings.” The call to “reward and represent care workers” connects directly to the principles of decent work and recognizing the economic contribution of all forms of labor.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The “lost earnings” and “persistent time poverty” mentioned in the article are significant barriers that can trap women and their families in poverty. By preventing women from participating fully in the paid labor market, the unequal burden of care work perpetuates economic vulnerability.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article describes unpaid care work as “physically and emotionally demanding,” leading to “long hours, physical effort, emotional strain, [and] stress” for caregivers. These factors directly impact the physical and mental well-being of caregivers, connecting the issue to SDG 3.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care placed on women is a fundamental driver of inequality. It limits their social, economic, and political opportunities compared to men. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for reducing gender-based inequalities within society.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be 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 within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.

   This target is the most direct match. The article’s central argument for the need to “recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work” aligns perfectly with this target’s goal of recognizing and valuing this labor through policy and promoting shared responsibility.

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 mention of “lost earnings” and the need to “reward and represent care workers” connects to this target. By recognizing the economic value of care work, societies can move closer to valuing it appropriately, which is a step towards achieving decent work and equal pay for work of equal value for women who are overrepresented in both paid and unpaid care sectors.

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 caregiving leading to “emotional strain” and “stress” directly relates to the part of this target that aims to “promote mental health and well-being.” The heavy burden of unpaid care is a significant stressor that can negatively affect the mental health of caregivers.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicator codes, but it strongly implies the types of data needed to measure progress.

• Time-Use Data (Implied Indicator for Target 5.4)

  The article’s references to “long hours” and “persistent time poverty” directly imply the need for an indicator that measures the amount of time spent on unpaid work. This aligns with the official SDG indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location. Measuring this is the first step to making the “invisible force” of unpaid care visible.

• Economic Valuation Data (Implied Indicator for Target 8.5)

  When the article discusses the “true economic and social value” being “hidden and uncounted” and the “lost earnings” of caregivers, it implies the need for indicators that measure the economic impact of this work. This could include calculating the monetary value of unpaid care work as a percentage of GDP or tracking the gender pay gap, which is often widened by women’s care responsibilities.

• Well-being and Health Surveys (Implied Indicator for Target 3.4)

  The mention of “emotional strain” and “stress” suggests that progress could be measured through indicators related to the mental and physical health of caregivers. This could involve surveys that measure self-reported levels of stress, anxiety, and overall well-being, disaggregated by gender and caregiving status.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: unwomen.org