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An estimated 708 million women worldwide are outside the labour force because of unpaid care responsibilities, according to new global estimates by International Labour Organisation (ILO), released on 29 October 2024, on the occasion of the International Day of Care and Support.

In 2023, 748 million people (aged 15 or older) were not participating in the global labour force because of care responsibilities, accounting for a third of all working-age persons outside of the labour force. Of these, 708 million were women and 40 million were men.

The new estimates, presented in the ILO Statistical brief, “The Impact of Care Responsibilities on Women’s Labour Force Participation”, are derived from data from 125 countries. They indicate that care responsibilities present the main barrier to women entering and staying in the labour force, while men are more likely to cite other personal reasons for being outside the labour force, such as education and health issues.

The data provides a stark gender discrepancy, which highlights the disproportionate role that women take in care responsibilities.

"Women shoulder a disproportionate share of care responsibilities, preventing their participation in the labour force due to factors such as low education levels, limited job opportunities, poor infrastructure, rural residence, and inadequate care and support systems. Additionally, societal expectations and norms around caregiving further restrict women’s labour market inclusion, and deepen gender inequalities," said Sukti Dasgupta, Director of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department, ILO.

Regionally, the highest percentage of women outside the labour force citing care responsibilities as the reason is in Northern Africa (63 per cent of women outside the labour force), followed by the Arab States (59 per cent). In Asia and the Pacific, the figure is 52 per cent with little variation in the subregions. In the Americas, the variation is stark, with 47 per cent citing care as the main reason for being outside the labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean, compared to just 19 per cent in Northern America. In Europe and Central Asia, 21 per cent of women report caregiving as the main barrier, with Eastern Europe having the lowest rate globally (11 per cent).

In light of such systemic gender-based inequalities, the ILO’s membership adopted the landmark Resolution concerning decent work and the care economy at the ILO’s International Labour Conference in June 2024. The Resolution is the first global tripartite agreement on the issue, paving the way for countries to tackle the challenges and harness the opportunities presented by the care economy. It states that “a well-functioning care economy not only supports individuals and families, but also contributes to a healthier workforce, creates jobs and enhances productivity.” The Resolution also highlights the “structural barriers” that unpaid care work creates for women in their participation, retention, and progression in the labour force.

"The way care is currently organized tends to reinforce the gender and social inequalities we are striving to overcome. The ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy calls for policies and systems that counter inequalities in terms of who receives and provides care, addresses the barriers preventing many women from entering, remaining and progressing in paid work, and improves the conditions of all care workers and, by extension, the quality of care," ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, explained.