Mind the gap: the EU Care Strategy must promote gender equality

Press release from CoFace Families Europe:

"The COVID-19 crisis has put the spotlight on the shortcomings of our care system, including the way it mistreats and disregards the needs of the persons caring for the ones in need of care and/ or support. These carers in the formal, informal economy and in families are in the great majority women and this gender gap has a cost for all.

"The recession shadowing the COVID-19 pandemic has been frequently characterised as a “shecession,” implying disproportionately negative effects for women. Yet according to OECD’s 2020 Risks that Matter study, the crisis might more accurately be called a “mumcession,”.

"The study presents cross-national evidence that when schools and childcare facilities shut down, mothers took on a greater share of additional unpaid care work – and, correspondingly, they experienced labour market penalties and stress. But we know that child care is only one element of the care equation that mothers have to deal with, caring for ageing relatives or providing support to a relative with disabilities is also often taken on by women.

"This reality also has great demographic relevance in our ageing societies as women have a longer life expectancy than men in Europe, putting them at risk of old-age poverty, but also triggering the refection of who will care for the ageing carers and the ones they were supporting once they are no longer able to fulfil this role?..."

Peter Limbrick writes: TAC Bulletin readers might be interested in Shadow Work by Ivan Illich on a related theme.