Care, decent work and social protection: ILO analyzes key elements to build comprehensive and sustainable systems

SANTIAGO (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) presented the technical brief “Decent work and social protection in the institutionalization of care”, a document that examines the key role of care in sustaining life, gender equality and the future of work.

The publication highlights that care—both paid and unpaid—constitutes essential work for the functioning of economies and societies. However, significant decent work deficits persist in the sector, along with an unequal distribution of care responsibilities, which fall disproportionately on women.

“The care economy is fundamental to the sustainability of our societies, yet it continues to be marked by deep inequalities. Recognizing care as work is an essential step to guarantee rights and move towards more just and inclusive systems,” said Guillermo Montt, Social Protection Specialist at the ILO Southern Cone and author of the brief.

In line with the Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Care Economy adopted by the ILO in 2024, the document analyzes how to advance in building comprehensive care systems from a perspective of shared social responsibility. In this framework, it underscores the central role of the State in the provision, regulation and financing of care, in coordination with the private sector, families, the social and solidarity economy, and communities.

The care economy is fundamental to the sustainability of our societies, yet it continues to be marked by deep inequalities. Recognizing care as work is an essential step to guarantee rights and move towards more just and inclusive systems.

Social protection and care: a strategic perspective

One of the key contributions of the brief is the analysis of the link between care and social protection. The document argues that dependency and care responsibilities can be understood as social contingencies affecting both those who require care and those who provide it.

From this perspective, social protection offers institutional and financial tools to protect the income of caregivers who must partially or fully withdraw from the labour market, compensate for the additional costs associated with dependency situations, and finance benefits and services through contributory and non-contributory schemes.

“Understanding care as part of social protection opens concrete pathways for its sustainable financing and for extending protection to both persons in need of care and caregivers. It is not only a social policy, but a central component of future social protection systems,” Montt stated.

The publication reviews international and regional experiences that have incorporated long-term care insurance, expanded family benefits and specific support mechanisms for caregivers, showing that it is possible to move towards more sustainable models with broader coverage.

Gender equality and the future of work

At the global level, millions of women remain outside the labour market due to care responsibilities, deepening gaps in income, social protection and economic autonomy. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this situation is one of the main drivers of inequality in labour force participation.

The brief emphasizes that recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work—together with rewarding and representing care workers—is key to advancing towards care systems that promote decent work and gender equality.

In a context of demographic change and productive transformation, strengthening the care economy not only responds to a growing social need, but also represents a strategic investment for sustainable development.

Towards universal and sustainable systems

The ILO highlights that the institutionalization of care systems requires mixed and sustainable financing mechanisms, combining contributory and non-contributory instruments to avoid coverage gaps, especially in contexts of high labour informality.

The brief concludes that the principles of social protection—universal coverage, adequacy of benefits, financial sustainability and social dialogue—provide a solid foundation to institutionally anchor and finance care policies that guarantee rights for both care recipients and caregivers.