Policy Brief on Care Economy

The care economy involves a wide range of paid and unpaid work activities for providing direct and indirect care for primarily care-dependent populations, such as children, older people, people with disabilities, and those who are ill. It also involves providing care for working individuals. A significant proportion of care work is unpaid, done in households by women and girls. Paid care work in social, domestic, and personal services, as well as in the education and health sectors, is predominantly the preserve of women.