The World Health Organisation, WHO, has recently published a report indicating that women are responsible for around 76 percent of all unpaid care activities, emphasizing the role of gender inequalities in the global healthcare crisis.
The report titled "Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work," highlights the negative impact of gender inequalities in health and care work on women, health systems, and health outcomes.
The report highlighted that women make up 67 percent of the paid global health and care workforce, emphasizing that those who primarily do the work tend to receive lower pay and face poor working conditions.
Highlighting the underinvestment in health systems, the report emphasized a vicious cycle of unpaid health and care work, which reduces women's participation in paid labor markets, harms women's economic empowerment, and hinders gender equality.
It also emphasizes how low pay and demanding working conditions, like devaluing caregiving, which is mainly done by women, has a negative impact on wages, working conditions, productivity, and the economic footprint of the sector.
The report highlights that due to insufficient investment in health and care work over the years, a global care crisis is emerging. It also points out that with the lack of progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), 4.5 billion people do not have full access to essential health services, which could result in women taking on more unpaid care responsibilities.
WHO Director for Health Workforce, Jim Campbell, remarked on the report, stating that the 'Fair Share' report showcases the significance of gender-equitable investments in health and care work in reshaping the value of health and care, and fostering fairer and more inclusive economies.
Campbell said: “We are calling upon leaders, policy-makers and employers to action investment: it is time for a fair share for health and care.”
