UN Women has called on governments and private sector partners to invest in strong and equitable care systems, describing such investments as one of the smartest and most urgent pathways to advancing gender equality, driving economic prosperity and strengthening resilience for future generations.

The organisation said care work remains the invisible foundation of every economy and society, noting that investment in quality care systems would create decent jobs, protect human rights and strengthen communities while reducing the unequal burden of unpaid care work borne by women and girls.

According to UN Women, an estimated 350 million children globally require childcare services, while the number of people needing care is projected to rise from 2.1 billion in 2015 to 2.3 billion by 2030. It added that unpaid care work, if assigned monetary value, could account for up to 40 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in some countries, while investments in care sectors can generate two to three times more jobs than equivalent investments in construction.

The agency identified the unequal distribution of care responsibilities as a major obstacle to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

It noted that women and girls spend 2.5 times more hours on unpaid care work than men, with 45 per cent of working-age women, about 708 million globally remaining outside the labour market because of unpaid care responsibilities, compared to just five per cent of men.

UN Women also stressed that care work is a human rights issue, pointing out that women constitute two-thirds of workers in the care sector, including healthcare, childcare and domestic work. It said women account for 80 per cent of paid domestic workers worldwide, yet 90 per cent of domestic workers lack access to social protection and social security.

The organisation further warned that conflicts and climate-related disasters are placing additional strain on care systems, with women and girls disproportionately absorbing the increased care burden.

In crisis settings, women spend nearly four times more hours on unpaid care work than men.

It cited Ukraine as an example, where women spend 16 more hours per week on unpaid care work than men, contributing to an estimated $72.5 billion loss to the economy.

Highlighting the long-term benefits of investing in the sector, UN Women said care economy investments could create nearly 300 million decent jobs by 2035 and are about 30 per cent less polluting than investments in the construction industry.

Through its Transform Care Initiative, the organisation aims to strengthen care systems in more than 50 countries, with projections that the programme could reach 2.9 billion women and girls, create 260 million decent jobs for women and free up 10 trillion hours of women’s and girls’ time by 2035.