Gender-equitable economic development through an improved care economy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Context

Various international crises are impeding efforts to reduce poverty and advance gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are also an obstacle to achieving the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), women are primarily prevented from integrating into the labour market due to unpaid housework and caring for family members. Women spend 22 to 42 hours a week – almost three times as much as men – carrying out unpaid care work. Even when women have additional paid employment, this is often not enough to achieve economic independence, as many work informally as domestic staff or in nursing professions.

The region is therefore facing a two-fold challenge: demand for long-term care is increasing due to an aging population while childcare requirements are not being covered. A systemic and context-specific care policy is required to enable fair working conditions and accessible care services.

Objective

The institutional capacities of countries in Latin American and the Caribbean has improved, allowing them to design and implement care systems and policies.

Approach

The project supports ECLAC’s advisory services in its member countries so that they can develop and implement care systems and policies in a gender-equitable manner.

The project promotes

• Technical support for the countries through ECLAC
• Knowledge sharing between governments in Latin America and the Caribbean through communities of practice on gender equality statistics
• Promoting data collection so that the countries can design and improve their care systems and policies using an evidence-based approach with a focus on women’s economic autonomy
• Sharing of lessons learned from the intervention areas mentioned as well as good practices and promising approaches between countries in the region and Europe on international platforms

Last update: August 2024