UN Pushes Care Programs to Tackle Unpaid Work in LATAM

Amid findings that unpaid domestic work accounts for over 25% of Latin America’s GDP, the United Nations is promoting integrated care systems across the region to strengthen gender equality, social inclusion, and sustainable development. This approach was highlighted at the event “Integrated Care Systems in Motion: Lessons from UN Country Teams and National Governments,” held alongside the 16th Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. Attendees included representatives from governments, UN agencies, and civil society in Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Mexico, who discussed challenges, opportunities, and best practices in the care sector.

Participants emphasized the economic value of unpaid care work and the need for coordinated public policy to formalize care workers. According to the Regional Gender Equality Profile for Latin America and the Caribbean, unpaid domestic and care work accounts for 18.8%–26.8% of GDP, with women contributing 74.5% of that value. The report warns that as populations age, women will face an even greater care burden, yet care work remains largely unrecognized and seen as women’s responsibility.

“When care falls disproportionately on women, they are forced to choose between professional development and family,” said Alanna Armitage, UNFPA representative in Mexico. “This forced choice hinders the economy and threatens long-term sustainability.” Time-use data shows Latin American women spend 12%–24.2% of their time on unpaid care work, compared with 3%–12.5% for men. Over half of women over 65 receive no income or pension, compared with 25% of men; in Mexico, this figure reaches nearly 80%.

Graciela Gómez García, director for civil society engagement at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said these imbalances limit women’s economic autonomy, harm public health, and undermine social cohesion. “Care is the foundation of collective life, yet this work remains invisible,” she said, calling for care systems that are equitable, inclusive, and adapted to local realities.

Valentina Perrotta, Uruguay’s director of care, emphasized cross-sector collaboration: “Care systems require involvement from all sectors, including UN agencies, because care is a human right.”

The UN’s regional strategy integrates care into Cooperation Frameworks in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Mexico’s 2020–2025 framework promotes social co-responsibility for unpaid care, while the 2026–2031 framework aligns with the National Development Plan to expand social protection. Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil have similarly committed to creating national care systems, addressing gender inequities, and formalizing care work.

Similar commitments are reflected in other countries’ frameworks. Both Colombia’s 2024-2027 framework and Chile’s 2023-2026 framework commit to the establishment of a National Care System, which would offer solutions and strategies for the creation of a “society of care.” Chile’s plan also pledges to integrate feminist approaches within public policies on domestic work. Uruguay’s 2021-2025 framework focuses on capacity-expanding initiatives for family members and caregivers, while emphasizing the unequal gendered distribution of home care. Finally, Brazil’s 2023-2027 framework targets regularizing and remunerating care workers within the formal economy. 

Peter Grohmann, UN resident coordinator in Mexico, said: “We cannot look at care from a single angle. Integrating care into Cooperation Frameworks is essential for achieving gender equality and sustainable development goals.” The conference reinforced progress on SDG 3 (Health and Welfare), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Inequality Reduction), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).