UN Convenes High-Level Discussion on Care Economy in the Caribbean

Representatives from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) gathered for an in-depth discussion on the urgency of addressing the care economy and its impact on women, who comprise the majority of unpaid care workers. The discussion, convened by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), highlighted the rising demand for care in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and the potential long-term implications for women's health, wellbeing, and economic empowerment.

Key Takeaways:

• The COVID-19 crisis has deepened existing inequalities in the gendered division of labor, placing a disproportionate burden on women and girls, with potential long-term implications for their health, wellbeing, and economic empowerment.
• Investments in care services and infrastructure can create up to 2.5 more jobs than investments in regular infrastructure, as demonstrated by global studies.
• The "5R Strategy" for addressing unpaid care work in CARICOM includes recognizing unpaid care work through measurement and data collection, reducing unpaid care work through universal provision of services, redistributing unpaid care work, rewarding paid care work, and representing care workers in social dialogue.
• CARICOM has agreed to measure unpaid care and domestic work through the 2020 Round of Census, with five countries piloting this methodology.
• A recent survey of Caribbean households conducted by the IDB showed that the pandemic has had a greater negative effect on women's employment, nutrition, and safety.
• Ministers of Finance, Gender, and Social Development in CARICOM countries highlighted concrete social protection measures that have been implemented, such as income support programs, cash transfer tourism grants, paid leave, and food assistance programs.
• The participants called for sustained investments in the care economy to be at the centre of efforts to 'build back better' and to focus on redressing long-standing gender inequalities in paid work and unpaid care.

Statistics:

• Up to 2.5 more jobs can be created through investments in care services and infrastructure.
• Women comprise the majority of unpaid care workers.
• The pandemic has had a greater negative effect on women's employment (IDB survey).
• Women's health, wellbeing, and economic empowerment are at risk due to the burden of unpaid care work.
• Investments in care infrastructure are crucial for the economic recovery of the Caribbean region.

Sources:

• United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• United Nations Women (UN Women)
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
• IDB survey of Caribbean households
• "5R Strategy" for addressing unpaid care work in CARICOM