20210919-UNDP-Investing_in_care_a_pathway_to_gender-responsive_COVID-19_recovery_4页_471kb

Investing in Care: A Pathway to Gender-Responsive COVID-19 Recovery

Introduction and Key Impacts

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the global crisis in care, disproportionately affecting women with increased unpaid care work. Women perform significantly more unpaid care work globally, equivalent to $10.8 trillion per year monetarily. During COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures, women's unpaid care burdens surged, leading to record drops in female labor force participation—45 million women left the workforce in 2020 compared to 36 million men. This increase in total workload may have driven many women out of employment. Social protection measures have largely not prioritized care support, with only 11% of such policies addressing unpaid care.

Recommendations for Action

Invest in the care economy to advance SDGs by increasing women's employment, reducing gender inequalities in care work, and promoting inclusive growth. Key actions include:

1. Revising policy frameworks to value unpaid care work, strengthen public financing, and set targets for social care expansion.
2. Leverage workplace measures in the private sector to dismantle gender stereotypes and reduce women's burdens through accessible care services.
3. Support behavioral and attitudinal changes by implementing gender-transformative strategies, such as promoting equitable care sharing and conditional cash transfers with gender-focused training.
4. Engage multiple stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and communities, to address women's needs and capabilities in care.

Conclusion

Addressing the care crisis is urgent for recovery. Concrete policy tools and innovative initiatives can be employed to build a sustainable and inclusive care economy centered on women's economic empowerment.

Sources: UNDP, UN Women (2021), COVID-19 Global Gender Response Tracker; ILO (2021), World Employment and Social Outlook; Other endnotes referenced in the brief.