Resources on Care Economy

  1. ILO Working paper 29

    Public Employment Programmes in the Care Economy - The Case of South Africa

    29 April 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis have increased unemployment levels in the care economy, detrimental effects of which are felt by care workers, the majority of whom are women. The South African experience shows that Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) have contributed to the progressive realisation of decent work where as a first step in the trajectory, they have recognised and renumerated care related labour as work. This case study raises a series of questions for further consideration about the role of PEPs in this context, particularly their efficacy in the provision of direct care services.

  2. © WOCinTech Chat 2022

    International Women’s Day

    ILO Director-General: "Let us invest in women as part of a human-centred recovery"

    08 March 2021

    To mark International Women’s Day, ILO Director-General paid tribute to the tremendous efforts made by women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  3. © Gloria Mbuya 2022

    Gender equality

    How to strengthen gender measures and data in the COVID-19 era

    01 March 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has hit sectors where women are over-represented the hardest: tourism, retail, the care economy. Yet the pandemic has also exposed data collection gaps that undermine our ability to craft effective policy responses.

  4. Publication

    Family-friendly workplace practices and policies for employers in the context of COVID-19

    06 April 2020

    This document builds on material developed by UNICEF EAPRO, UNICEF ESARO and the ILO. It is an interim guidance note, developed in a fast-evolving situation. It provides general recommendations that aim to help employers strengthen support for workers and their families.