Why care matters for social development

Date

2010

Authors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

UNRISD, Geneva, CH

Abstract

Care work, both paid and unpaid, contributes to well-being, social development and economic growth. But the costs of providing care are unequally borne across gender and class. Women perform the bulk of unpaid care work across all economies and cultures, and despite its economic value, unpaid care work is not included in labour force surveys. Care is feminized and undervalued whether carried out in the market or the public sector. A policy environment that recognizes and values care as the bedrock of social and economic development has to respect and guarantee the rights and needs of both care-givers and care-receivers.

Description

Also available at www.unrisd.org/publications/rpb9e

Keywords

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, WOMEN, DOMESTIC WORK, CHILD CARE SERVICES, CARE OF THE AGED, GENDER EQUALITY, ECONOMIC RIGHTS

Citation

DOI