Gender equality and women empowerment for sustainable development: The challenge of unpaid work

• Main Author: Ranieses, Jessica Jaye S.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Sex discrimination against women; Sustainable development; Unpaid labor; Gender; Equality; Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/11330
• Institution: De La Salle University

This article focuses on women – a sector that has been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to unpaid care work. Unpaid work refers to “all unpaid services provided within a household for its members, including care of persons and housework” (Elson, 2000, as cited by Xue & McMunn, 2021) and a phenomenon that women had already been bearing significantly even prior to the pandemic. With the COVID-19 pandemic where work has shifted remotely, women have now performed multiple roles more than ever. According to the United Nations (2020), among 38 nations, the amount of time spent by women on unpaid care work activities has climbed to 33%, compared to 26% for males. Unpaid work is not only an area of concern due to its impact on women’s physical and mental health but also because of its implication for gender equality, poverty reduction, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have highlighted the inclusion of ‘Unpaid Care Work and Domestic Work’ as a target (target 5.4) and it is past time for the state, the market and businesses, and the most affected stakeholders to address the multiple burdens faced by the women who keep our homes together.