A recent report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), titled “Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work,” underscores the detrimental effects of gender inequalities within health and care work on women, health systems, and overall health outcomes.
UNVEILING THE UNDERINVESTMENT: A VICIOUS CYCLE OF UNPAID WORK
The report outlines how underinvestment in health systems perpetuates a vicious cycle of unpaid health and care work, ultimately hindering women’s participation in paid labour markets, impeding economic empowerment, and obstructing gender equality efforts.
THE GENDER DYNAMICS: WOMEN AS THE BACKBONE OF HEALTH AND CARE WORK
With women constituting 67% of the paid global health and care workforce and performing an estimated 76% of all unpaid care activities, the gendered nature of health and care work becomes apparent. Despite their significant contributions, work primarily undertaken by women tends to be undervalued, resulting in lower wages and inadequate working conditions.
THE CRISIS UNVEILED: CHRONIC UNDERINVESTMENT AND GROWING CHALLENGES
Decades of chronic underinvestment in health and care work have led to a burgeoning global crisis. Stagnation in progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) has left approximately 4.5 billion people without full access to essential health services, potentially exacerbating the burden of unpaid care work shouldered by women.
CHARTING A PATH FORWARD: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
The report offers policy levers aimed at rectifying the undervaluation of health and care work:
- Improving working conditions, especially for feminized occupations
- Promoting equitable inclusion of women in the paid labour force
- Enhancing wages and working conditions in the health and care workforce, ensuring equal pay for equal work
- Addressing the gender gap in care giving, supporting quality care work, and safeguarding the rights and well-being of caregivers
- Ensuring comprehensive national statistics account for, measure, and value all health and care work
- Investing in robust public health systems
A CALL TO ACTION: REDEFINING THE VALUE OF HEALTH AND CARE
The WHO underscores the need for gender-equitable investments in health and care work to foster fairer and more inclusive economies. Leaders, policymakers, and employers are urged to prioritize investment to achieve a fair share for health and care.
Investments in health and care systems not only propel progress towards universal health coverage but also alleviate the burden of unpaid care work borne by women. Recognizing, valuing, and investing in all forms of health and care work are imperative steps towards fostering gender equality and promoting better health outcomes for all.