A new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘Equitable distribution of health and care: Gender and the underrepresentation of health and care work’, finds that gender inequalities in health and care work are linked to women, health systems, It shows how it negatively impacts health outcomes.
The report outlines that underinvestment in health systems is creating a vicious cycle of unpaid health and care work, reducing women’s participation in the paid labor market, undermining women’s economic empowerment and impeding gender equality. are doing.
Women make up 67% of the world’s paid health and care workforce. In addition to this paid work, women are estimated to perform an estimated 76% of all unpaid care activities. Jobs held primarily by women tend to be poorly paid and have poor working conditions.
The report highlights that low wages and harsh working conditions are common in the health and care sector. Devaluing caregiving, a job primarily performed by women, has negative effects on wages, working conditions, productivity and the sector’s economic impact.
The report reveals that decades of chronic underinvestment in health and care services have led to a growing global care crisis. Efforts towards universal health coverage (UHC) have stalled, leaving 4.5 billion people without full access to essential health services and women doing even more unpaid care work. may be accepted. The negative impact of weak health systems and the rise in unpaid health and care work are placing further strain on the health of caregivers and the quality of services.
“The Fair Share report highlights how gender equality investing in health and care work can reset the value of health and care and drive a fairer and more inclusive economy. ” said Jim Campbell, WHO Director of Health Workforce. “We are calling on leaders, policymakers and employers to make investments. Now is the time to pay for health and care equitably.”
This report presents policy measures to increase the value of health and care work.
- Improving working conditions in all forms of health and care work, particularly in increasingly feminized occupations
- Include women more equitably in the paid workforce
- Improve working conditions and wages for health and care workers and ensure equal pay for work of equal value
- Addressing gender disparities in care, supporting quality care work, and protecting the rights and welfare of carers
- Ensure national statistics account for, measure and evaluate all health and care efforts
- Invest in robust public health systems to reduce the burden of unpaid care work and improve the quality of health services.
Investments in health and care systems not only accelerate progress in UHC but also redistribute unpaid health and care labor. When women participate in paid health and care employment, they are economically empowered and improve health outcomes. Health systems need to recognize, value and invest in all forms of health and care work.
