Care economy

The care society prioritizes the sustainability of life, linking care for people and for the planet. It can help to reverse social and gender inequalities in synergy with the environmental dimension and economic development. It helps to reduce the precariousness of care work and highlights the multiplier effects of the care economy.

Activities

7 - 9 November 2023 | Meetings and technical symposiums

Festival de Datos 2023

The Festival de Datos takes place in Punta del Este, from November 7-9, 2023, bringing together more than 400 delegates from governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society of various nationalities.

7 - 11 November 2022 | Conferences and meetings of subsidiary bodies

XV Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

The fifteenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Buenos Aires from 7 to 11 November 2022.

29 September 2021, 10:15 - 11:45 | Other events

The burden of unpaid care work on Caribbean women in the time of COVID-19

Side event as part of the Sixty-first meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

13 July 2021, 06:30 - 08:00 | Other events

Panel: Women's autonomy and the care economy in the framework of a…

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus has accentuated the structural challenges of gender inequality and has generated a setback of more than a decade in terms of women's participation in the labor market, a deepening of the feminization of poverty and an increase in the burden of care work, even in higher-income countries such as Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay. Furthermore, as one of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the digitalization of economies that still face a significant gender gap in terms of access to and use of technologies, accentuated even more by income levels, has accelerated.

News

10 April 2025 | Briefing note

Toward the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC Convened the Specialized Agencies for the Advancement of Women

Twenty-Seventh Meeting of the Specialized Agencies and Other United Nations Bodies on the Advancement of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (OEM27) was held as part of the preparatory roadmap toward the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held from 12 to 15 August in Mexico City. 

10 April 2025 | Briefing note

With technical assistance from ECLAC, the Ministry of Finance of Chile identifies that more than 22% of public spending contributes to gender equality

The Division for Gender Affairs of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) participated in the seminar "Closing gender gaps through fiscal management in Chile: Gender-responsive budgeting," where the study "Gender-responsive budgeting: Gender tagging 2025" was presented. The seminar also featured, among others, remarks by the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel, and the Minister of Women and Gender Equity, Antonia Orellana. Since 2023, the Ministry of Finance has received technical assistance from ECLAC and UN Women on this matter.

25 March 2025 | Briefing note

Caribbean Academic Forum: Contributions to the XVI Regional Conference on Women to Advance the Care Society

The Forum brought together researchers, policymakers, civil society representatives, and students from the Caribbean and Latin America to deepen the regional dialogue on advancing care societies with substantive equality, particularly in the Caribbean context.

13 March 2025 | Briefing note

CEPAL, ESCAP, and ESCWA, together with the governments of Cambodia, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, implement a South-South dialogue on transforming care systems in a changing world

The event, which took place in the framework of the CSW69, brought together the United Nations Regional Commissions, governments, international organizations, and civil society to exchange experiences on care policies and interregional cooperation.