Care work is not inherently bad. In fact, it is a good thing! Everybody has been taken care of, and without it, we would not be part of society. However, it can create vulnerability because it has been established as an almost exclusive activity of women, and as such, it has been devalued and un(der)recognised.
It is estimated that every day, in addition to the 8 hours of work (assuming they are the regulations) women work up to four hours overtime in non-paid care work in developed countries and up to twelve in rural and developing countries.
But what can women possibly do for so many hours? Help children do homework, cook (the minimum 3 meals if you're lucky), clean the house, 'take care' of the husband, organise the home, shop, manage the household economy (hopefully), etc. Without this job, all the rest collapses. However, women tend to be considered secondary supportive income for their formal work, resulting in once again, the devaluation of that work and consequently less pay and informality.
Last year I was asked that if the solution was to make care work a wage-earner with a state bond...and the answer is not. The explanation is quite simple: instead of redistributing the work and de-feminise it, it would put women in a position of employees of their partners or the State, who would become bosses in their own home. As you can see, it would clearly not go to the root and besides, it would sharpen dependence and unequal power relations. However, this tells us a lot about the monetisation of the economic value that exists in overall activities.
And while it's a no-stop circle, the problem doesn't end there, because this excess leads to health problems that can reach the 'fall of the uterus' or even greater health problems.
Overall, care work can be approached and addressed from a development perspective. However, it needs prioritisation and specialised professionals to take care of it.
If your institution is looking help reduce the burden of women, send me a message to see how we can work together!
Kommentare