Waseem Ahmad Yattoo
Care is among the most essential activities in human life, yet much of the work that sustains families, communities and economies remains undervalued, underpaid or entirely unpaid. From raising children and supporting older persons to caring for people with disabilities, nursing the sick and maintaining households, millions of people perform daily tasks that make social and economic life possible. The International Day of Care and Support seeks to bring this often-invisible contribution into public focus and encourage governments and institutions to recognise care as a shared social responsibility. Observed annually on October 29, the International Day of Care and Support was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/77/317, adopted on July 24, 2023. The resolution called for greater investment in resilient, inclusive and gender-responsive care systems that respect human rights and recognise the value of both paid and unpaid care work. The observance reflects a growing international recognition that care is not merely a private family responsibility. It is fundamental to human dignity, social protection, gender equality and sustainable development.
Recognising The Value Of Care Work: Care work takes many forms. It includes direct activities such as feeding children, assisting older persons, supporting people with disabilities and nursing patients, as well as indirect work such as cooking, cleaning and maintaining a household. Professional care workers, including nurses, doctors, childcare workers and domestic workers, also form an essential part of the care economy. Despite its importance, care work is frequently overlooked in conventional assessments of economic productivity. Unpaid caregivers contribute time, labour, knowledge and emotional support without receiving wages or formal recognition. Their contribution may not appear in household income calculations, yet families and labour markets depend heavily on the services they provide. This raises a fundamental question: how can societies achieve sustainable economic growth when a substantial part of the work that supports their functioning remains inadequately recognised? The International Day of Care and Support provides an opportunity to address this question by promoting policies that recognise care as essential work and ensure that those providing it receive appropriate support, protection and respect.
A Disproportionate Burden On Women: One of the central concerns highlighted by the observance is the unequal distribution of unpaid care work between women and men. According to the International Labour Organization, women perform 76.2 per cent of the total hours of unpaid care work worldwide, spending approximately 3.2 times as much time on such responsibilities as men. This inequality has consequences extending beyond the household. Women who devote substantial time to caregiving may have fewer opportunities to pursue education, secure employment, develop professional skills or advance their careers. Many face the difficult choice of continuing paid employment while managing domestic responsibilities or withdrawing from the workforce to care for family members. An ILO estimate published in October 2024 found that 708 million women worldwide were outside the labour force because of unpaid care responsibilities in 2023. The figure illustrates the extent to which caregiving arrangements can restrict women’s economic participation. The problem is not that care lacks value, but that its value is often not reflected in the distribution of responsibilities, access to services or economic opportunities. Changing this situation requires challenging the assumption that caring for children, older persons and other family members is naturally or exclusively a woman’s responsibility. Men must participate more equally in domestic and caregiving tasks, while employers and governments must develop arrangements that allow people of all genders to balance work and family life.
Care Workers Deserve Dignity And Decent Working Conditions: The challenges are not limited to unpaid caregivers. Millions of people employed in healthcare, childcare, domestic services and long-term support work perform essential duties under difficult conditions. Many experience low wages, limited social protection, insecure employment and inadequate access to training or professional advancement. The United Nations has highlighted the importance of recognising paid care workers as essential workers and improving their wages, labour rights, occupational safety and health, and opportunities for representation. Women working in the health and care sector also face a substantial gender pay gap. A sustainable care system must protect both the people who receive care and those who provide it. Care workers should have fair remuneration, safe workplaces, social security, reasonable working hours and effective protection against exploitation and discrimination. Domestic workers and informal caregivers deserve particular attention because their contributions may remain outside formal employment arrangements. Extending labour protections, improving access to social security and creating pathways to formal employment are important steps towards making care work more secure and respected.
“The International Day of Care and Support (October 29) emphasizes that care is a fundamental human dignity and a shared societal responsibility, not a private burden. It urges governments, employers, communities, and households to move beyond symbolic appreciation by implementing actionable measures—such as investing in social protection, improving conditions for care workers, and reducing caregiver strain—to build inclusive, sustainable care systems.”
Building Stronger Care Systems: The International Day of Care and Support calls for a shift from treating care as an individual household concern to recognising it as a shared responsibility involving families, communities, employers and the state. This requires investment in affordable childcare, accessible healthcare, disability support, services for older persons and community-based care facilities. Public services can reduce pressure on individual households and help ensure that access to care does not depend solely on a family’s income or the availability of relatives. Workplaces also have a role to play. Parental leave, flexible working arrangements, adequate leave for family emergencies and supportive workplace policies can help employees manage care giving responsibilities without sacrificing their professional prospects. Equally important is the need for reliable data on unpaid care work. Time-use surveys and other research can help policymakers understand how responsibilities are distributed, identify gaps in services and design interventions that respond to the needs of different communities. A comprehensive approach should recognise care, reduce unnecessary burdens, redistribute responsibilities more fairly, improve conditions for paid care workers and ensure that caregivers have a voice in decisions affecting their lives.
The Indian Context|Recognising Care Within Families, Communities: In India, care and support are deeply embedded in family relationships and community life. Families frequently provide care to children, older persons, people with disabilities and individuals recovering from illness. Women often shoulder a significant share of these responsibilities alongside paid employment or other economic activities. While family-based care can provide emotional security and strengthen relationships, it should not become a substitute for adequate public services or place an unreasonable burden on individual family members. Caregivers themselves may require financial assistance, respite services, counselling, healthcare and social protection. Greater investment in accessible childcare, elderly care, disability-inclusive services and community healthcare can help address these needs. Employers can contribute through family-friendly policies, while educational institutions and public organisations can promote awareness of the equal value of caregiving responsibilities undertaken by women and men. Recognition must also extend to domestic workers, nursing staff, community health workers and childcare providers whose labour supports households and public services. Their contribution deserves fair treatment, appropriate compensation and respect. A care system that protects vulnerable people while safeguarding the dignity and livelihoods of caregivers is essential for inclusive development.
Care As A Shared Social Responsibility: The International Day of Care and Support is more than an annual observance. It is a reminder that every individual depends on care at different stages of life and that the ability to provide and receive care is fundamental to human dignity. Its message calls for societies to move beyond symbolic appreciation towards practical measures that make care accessible, affordable and fairly distributed. Governments must invest in services and social protection; employers must support workers with family responsibilities; communities must strengthen local support networks; and households must challenge unequal expectations about who should provide care. The success of these efforts should be measured not simply by the number of policies announced, but by whether caregivers experience less financial and physical strain, care workers enjoy better working conditions, and people requiring assistance can access quality support without discrimination. Ultimately, care is not a private burden to be carried by a few, but a shared responsibility essential to the wellbeing of all. Recognising its value is the first step; building inclusive and sustainable care systems is the responsibility that follows. On October 29, the International Day of Care and Support invites the world to acknowledge the people whose daily work sustains families and societies and to ensure that those who care for others are themselves supported, protected and valued.
(Author is BVSC Student at Andra University. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
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