Untaken domestic responsibilities diminish women's prospects
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), in partnership with Oxfam Pilipinas and other key stakeholders, has announced the development of the National Care Economy Policy Framework. This policy framework is a response to the limitations on women's access to education, decent employment, and opportunities for personal growth due to unpaid care and domestic work.
According to the PCW, females in the Philippines spend nearly 11 hours each day on unpaid care and domestic work. This extensive workload includes tasks such as cooking, laundry, household maintenance, childcare, emotional support, relational concerns, elderly or sick/disabled care, and voluntary community work.
The goal of the National Care Economy Policy Framework is to redistribute the burden of care. It aims to address long-standing inequalities related to care work and create structures that enable both women and men to participate equally in caregiving and the workforce.
The policy framework is an evidence-based roadmap aimed at tackling unpaid care work. It includes concrete, inclusive, and gender-responsive policies. This initiative is a step towards a future where care work is recognised, valued, and equally shared, allowing both women and men to pursue opportunities, enjoy decent work, and contribute fully to inclusive and gender-fair development.
The PCW has emphasised the critical role of care work as the backbone of society. They called for a future where care work is recognised, valued, and equally shared, to allow both women and men to pursue opportunities, enjoy decent work, and contribute fully to inclusive and gender-fair development.
The announcement of the National Care Economy Policy Framework was made in line with the celebration of International Equal Pay Day. This policy framework is planned to be created by 2025, marking a significant step forward in addressing unpaid care work and persistent inequalities in the Philippines.
