Care and support are at the heart of human existence, because from birth through old age every person depends on care in one form or another. Care includes looking after children, supporting older people, assisting persons with disabilities, nursing the sick, and providing emotional and psychological support, much of which happens quietly inside homes and communities without recognition or pay. The International Day of Care and Support, observed every year on 29 October, highlights that care is not only a private matter but a shared social responsibility and a foundation of human dignity.
The Global Scale of Care Work: A Hidden Economy
Care work represents one of the world’s largest yet most overlooked sectors, supporting billions of lives while remaining largely invisible in economic systems. A vast share of care is unpaid and performed within households, and women carry most of this workload, spending far more hours than men on caregiving tasks. If unpaid care were measured as part of the economy, its value would be enormous, yet caregivers—especially unpaid ones—often remain undervalued, overburdened, and excluded from policy priorities.
Women, Girls, and the Unequal Burden of Care
Care responsibilities fall disproportionately on women and girls, reinforcing inequality across education, employment, and income. In many societies, girls are expected to care for siblings or relatives, sometimes at the cost of schooling and personal development. Women caregivers frequently face reduced job opportunities, lower lifetime earnings, and limited social protection, creating cycles of dependence and poverty that are difficult to break without systemic support.
Care Workers on the Frontlines: Paid Yet Precarious
Paid care workers such as nurses, domestic workers, childcare providers, and elder-care assistants are essential to health systems and daily life, yet many work in insecure conditions. Large numbers lack adequate protections such as health coverage, pensions, and stable contracts, despite facing high physical and emotional demands. Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic exposed how societies rely on care workers, while many of them remain among the lowest-paid and least protected professionals.
Ageing Societies and Growing Care Needs
Global care needs are rising rapidly as populations age, while traditional family-based caregiving networks are weakening due to smaller households and migration. Without strong public care systems, families—especially women—will face heavier and more complex caregiving responsibilities. This demographic shift makes investment in care services and infrastructure urgent for social stability and long-term development.
Care as a Human Right and a Public Responsibility
Care and support are directly linked to human rights, including the rights to health, education, decent work, and dignity, and when care systems fail, inequality deepens. Building effective care systems requires shared responsibility among governments, communities, families, and the private sector, supported by investment in childcare, elder care, disability services, and protections for caregivers. Strong care systems can expand employment, improve wellbeing, and strengthen social cohesion, making care a central pillar of inclusive development.
Building a Caring Future for All
The International Day of Care and Support calls on societies to rethink how care is valued and organised, treating it as essential infrastructure rather than invisible “women’s work” or charity. Recognising caregivers, fairly compensating care workers, reducing unpaid care burdens, and building inclusive services are key steps toward a more just world. When care is properly valued and supported, societies become more resilient, compassionate, and equal, because honouring care ultimately means honouring humanity.