Care work is the invisible foundation of every economy and society. Investing in strong care systems creates decent jobs, drives economic prosperity, advances gender equality, protects human rights, and strengthens communities. UN Women is helping to reduce the unequal care workload on women and girls and build care systems that work for everyone.
1. Care work drives economies
Care work – both unpaid and paid – makes economies possible. It is the essential daily work that keeps us nourished, healthy, and well – without it, our society and economy would grind to a halt. As populations age and care needs increase, investing in care systems is becoming an economic imperative.
- An estimated 350 million children require childcare services globally. By 2030, 2.3 billion people worldwide will require care, up from 2.1 billion in 2015.
- If given a monetary value, unpaid care work would account for up to 40 per cent of GDP in some countries.
- Investments in care sectors can create two to three times more jobs than investments in the construction sector.
2. Closing care gaps is essential for achieving gender equality
The undervaluing and unequal distribution of care work across society remains one of the most persistent barriers to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work is fundamental for women’s time, choice and opportunities for education, decent employment, leadership, and public life.
- Women and girls spend 2.5 times more hours per day on unpaid care work than men.
- Globally, 45 per cent of working-age women (708 million women) are outside the labour market because of unpaid care responsibilities, compared with just 5 per cent of men.
3. Care work is a matter of human rights
Strong care systems are essential to ensuring dignity and rights for both caregivers and those requiring care. Investing in the care economy means investing in decent care sector jobs, labour rights for care workers, social protection policies, and quality services that uphold the rights of everyone who needs and provides care. Paid care work is largely done by women, often with low pay and long hours. Two-thirds of workers in the care sector – including healthcare, childcare, and domestic work – are women, and many are migrant workers.
- Women make up 80 per cent of paid domestic workers. Yet 90 per cent of domestic workers lack social protection and social security coverage.
4. As conflicts and crises increase worldwide, care systems are increasingly strained – with women and girls paying the price
When care services and infrastructure are weakened or destroyed by conflict and climate-related disasters, women and girls absorb the care workload, often at significant social and economic cost. Investing in care systems can help communities withstand shocks, reduce inequalities, and build more resilient societies.
- In crisis settings, women spend nearly four times more hours on unpaid care work than men.
- For example, in Ukraine, women spend 16 more hours per week on unpaid care work than men, resulting in an estimated USD 72.5 billion loss to the economy.
5. Care economy investments deliver transformative and sustainable returns
Investments in the care economy can generate benefits for all, extending across generations and economies and benefiting the planet.
- Investments in care services could create nearly 300 million new decent jobs by 2035.
- Investing in care sectors has the potential to be 30 per cent less polluting than investing in the construction industry.
- UN Women’s Transform Care Initiative aims to strengthen care systems in more than 50 countries. By 2035, the initiative has the potential to contribute to:
- reaching 2.9 billion women and girls;
- creating 260 million decent jobs for women;
- freeing up 10 trillion hours of women’s and girls’ time by 2035.
UN Women is calling on governments and private sector partners to invest in strong and equitable care systems as one of the smartest and most urgent choices to advance gender equality, drive economic prosperity, and strengthen resilience for future generations.
