Unpaid care work and social protection are intrinsically linked. Women and girls’ uptake of social protection provisions is affected by their unpaid care work responsibilities. Conversely these essential provisions can help alleviate the drudgery and burden that unpaid care work places upon them.
Yet despite the considerable body of research evidence that demonstrates these clear connections, unpaid care work remains largely invisible in social protection policies and programming. In order to address this challenge, policies must recognise the value of women’s work, shift the burden of care work away from women and families and improve access to the vital services that will help improve women and girls’ wellbeing.
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