World Health Organization
A woman care worker holds a medication packet in front of a man, still shot from Fair Share for Health and Care video
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International Day of Care and Support: time for gender-equitable investment to better value and recognize care workers

28 October 2024
Departmental update
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In June 2023, the United Nations proclaimed that the International Day of Care and Support shall take place annually on October 29. The declaration reflects commitment to invest in the care economy and “to create robust, resilient and gender-responsive, disability-inclusive and age-sensitive care and support systems with full respect for human rights with a view to recognizing, reducing, valuing and redistributing unpaid care and domestic work and support.”

Around the world, health and care work is chronically undervalued, and 76% of unpaid care work is performed by women. These unpaid contributions to health care equate to 2.35% of global GDP, or the equivalent of US$ 1.5 trillion every year. 

Advancing gender equality, equity, and human rights and work on the social determinants of health is essential to WHO’s mission of realizing the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Care provided in and outside of health settings contributes to this ambition, yet gender inequalities in the health and care sector are pervasive.

Underinvestment in health systems and the health and care workforce hinders progress towards gender equality. Weak health systems transfer unpaid care work onto women, and lower health spending is correlated with more unequal distribution of unpaid work.

The burden of unremunerated care creates negative health outcomes for women carers and limits their opportunities to exercise their right to full and equal economic and political inclusion in society. Restrictive gender norms regarding men and women’s roles mean that men often are not expected to undertake this work. The hours dedicated to caregiving often go unnoticed, with women trading their paid work, leisure and rest time to provide care.

Sixty-seven per cent of workers in the health and care sector across the world are women.
  • Globally, there is a 24% pay gap between women and their male peers.
  • For example, around 32 million women in European Union countries provide care to a family member, friend or neighbour every week. Replacing this care via formal services would require an additional 19.5 million full-time workers. 
  • Informal carers are already 20% more likely to experience mental health issues compared to non-carers. This situation is aggravated for women, who tend to provide a higher intensity of care every week and must balance their caregiving role with other aspects of their lives, such as paid work and childcare. 
  • Burnout among health and care workers during the pandemic ranged from 41 to 52% in pooled estimates. Women, young people and parents of dependent children were found to be at greater risk of psychological distress. 

    • Gender discrimination can interact with other forms of prejudice to worsen the health effects of informal caregiving and dissuade unpaid informal caregivers from seeking and receiving help and support. Male caregivers are more likely to experience detrimental effects on physical health, while women are more likely to report negative mental health outcomes.

    WHO recognizes care work as an important component of providing health, as well as a cornerstone of sustainable development and gender equality. Care workers are the human heart of this work.

    On the International Day of Care, we must commit to change the way care is organized. WHO’s Fair Share for Health and Care Report shows how gender equitable investments can help fully recognize the value of this work and drive better health, fairer economies and a better planet. The Global Health and Care Worker Compact provides guidance and the international legal foundations to protect health and care workers from harm, ensure inclusivity, provide resources and safeguard rights.

    Evidence-based solutions

    The Fair Share Report recommends six policy levers to better value health and care work:

    • improve working conditions for all forms of health and care work, especially for highly feminized occupations;
    • include women more equitably in the paid labour workforce;
    • enhance conditions of work and wages in the health and care workforce and ensure equal pay for work of equal value;
    • address the gender gap in care, support quality care work and uphold the rights and well-being of caregivers; 
    • ensure that national statistics account for, measure and value all health and care work; and
    • invest in robust public health systems.

    Who are care workers?

    Care workers provide direct personal care services in the home, in health care and residential settings, assisting with routine tasks of daily life and performing a variety of other tasks of a simple and routine nature.

    This term comprises two ILO ISCO occupational groups:

    • Heath care assistant (ISCO-08 code: 5321) - Institution-based personal care workers who provide direct personal care and assistance with activities of daily living to patients and residents in a variety of health care settings such as hospitals, clinics and residential nursing care facilities. They generally work in implementation of established care plans and practices, and under the direct supervision of medical, nursing or other health professionals or associate professionals.
    • Home-based personal care workers (ISCO-08 code: 5322) who provide routine personal care and assistance with activities of daily living to persons who are in need of such care due to effects of ageing, illness, injury, or other physical or mental conditions, in private homes and other independent residential settings.