UN Report Calls for Urgent Overhaul of Global Care and Support Systems to Address Inequalities and Ensure Human Rights

According to the report, care and support work is predominantly unpaid or underpaid and largely takes place in informal settings.

A newly published report by the UN Human Rights Office has highlighted the urgent need for a transformation of care and support systems worldwide, warning that the current models are unsustainable and perpetuate existing inequalities. The report underscores how these systems often fail to respect the rights, dignity, autonomy, and agency of individuals, particularly those who provide and receive care.

According to the report, care and support work is predominantly unpaid or underpaid and largely takes place in informal settings. Women and girls, including older women and those with disabilities, bear the brunt of this work. The 2024 UN Gender Snapshot reveals that women globally spend 2.5 times more hours per day than men on unpaid care and domestic labor. This disparity limits women's economic opportunities, leading to reduced incomes and savings, ultimately restricting their financial independence and future prospects.

Additionally, the traditional care system often institutionalizes care, disregarding the autonomy of people with disabilities, children, and the elderly, who are often perceived as passive dependents. The report states that approximately 102 out of every 100,000 children in alternative care worldwide are housed in residential care facilities. UNICEF research indicates that in Europe and Central Asia, children with disabilities are up to 30 times more likely to be placed in such institutions compared to their peers.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized the critical nature of these findings, stating, “The various combinations of inequalities based on gender, disability, and age prevalent in current care and support systems underscore the urgent need for a radical overhaul and for us all to join forces to support this transformation. Such systems are fundamental to achieving sustainable development and ensuring the well-being and prosperity of individuals, societies, economies, and ecosystems.”

The report defines care and support as essential acts that enable individuals to maintain their well-being, carry out daily activities, and participate in society with dignity and autonomy. It stresses that the rights of both caregivers and those requiring care are deeply interconnected, regardless of gender, age, or disability status.

One of the report's key concerns is that existing international human rights frameworks addressing care and support have been developed in isolation from one another. To rectify this, the report calls for a holistic, comprehensive approach that ensures the protection of the rights of caregivers, care recipients, and individuals practicing self-care.

To drive this transformation, the report calls upon all stakeholders — including governments, businesses, civil society, and affected rights-holders — to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration. It urges States to establish, adequately fund, and sustain comprehensive and rights-based care and support systems. Businesses, both as employers and service providers, are also called upon to comply with human rights standards in care-related employment and services.

The recommendations emphasize the necessity of gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and age-sensitive care and support systems that fully respect human rights. To achieve this, the report urges significant investment in care infrastructure to ensure the fulfillment of human rights in all care-related contexts.

“Investments should be significantly scaled up to realize the human rights of all individuals involved in care and support,” the report states, reinforcing the need for immediate and decisive action from policymakers and stakeholders alike.