Abstract Book of the 3rd World Conference on Gender Equality
Year: 2025
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Rebalancing the Economy of Care: Policy Pathways to Reduce Gendered Poverty
Pallavi Mahajan
ABSTRACT:
Gendered poverty persists as a systemic and global inequity rooted in the dispropor7onate burden of unpaid care work shouldered by women. Worldwide, women perform over 76% of unpaid care work, contribu7ng an es7mated $10.8 trillion annually in invisible economic value (Oxfam, 2022). This invisible labour constrains women’s access to formal employment, limits social and economic mobility, and reinforces poverty cycles—especially among single mothers and low-income households.
This paper examines how comprehensive and accountable childcare and equitable parental leave systems and policies can redistribute care responsibili7es, enhance women’s labour force par7cipa7on, and reduce gendered poverty. Employing secondary research, the study draws on labour market data, policy frameworks, and literature review from three welfare economies—Sweden, Norway, and Canada—to explore the socioeconomic impacts of caresuppor7ve policy ecosystems.
Findings reveal that in countries with universal childcare access and non-transferable, paid parental leave for both parents, women’s labour force par7cipa7on exceeds 75%, gender wage gaps fall below 12%, and child poverty rates are markedly lower
The paper advocates for the urgent integra7on of unpaid care work into na7onal accoun7ng and economic policymaking and agendas. It supports the global adop7on of care-centered policies as a founda7onal strategy for achieving SDG-1 (No Poverty) and SDG-5 (Gender Equality). Ul7mately, acknowledging and funding the care economy is not only impera7ve for gender equity—it is an economic necessity.
Keywords: Gender equity, pay parity, care economy