In the current organization of societies, women and girls still perform the greatest share of unpaid care work, even though men and boys of the twentyfirst century are increasingly aware of the need to share this work and eager to shoulder part of the responsibility.
A shift in mindsets can be accelerated if economies and societies recognize not only that they depend on care work to survive and thrive, but also that work and care are closely interconnected. This mutual dependence is even more apparent in the context of the current transition towards a digital and green economy. Reconciling the worlds of “work” and “care” is one of the key challenges to actively promoting gender equality. Decreasing fertility rates, increasing migrant movements and ageing populations, and the rising number of women in employment are today’s reality. Accelerating a new equilibrium requires bold policies and measures that end violence, harassment and discrimination against women with the underpinning aim to better distribute care responsibilities across genders. Reliable gender-disaggregated data are essential to designing such policies and monitoring outcomes to establish what works for women. Meeting these challenges also requires placing emphasis not only on individual agency, but also on collective action through solidarity, building strategic alliances and promoting social mobilization, all of which relies on greater participation of women in decision-making.
Anno: 2019
Fonte: ILO
