Unpaid care work like cooking, caring for children and elderly leads to poverty and
isolation of women if not identified, says Magdalena Sepúlveda, Special Rapporteur for
UN.

“Unpaid care work is at the foundation of all our societies, and crucial for economic
growth and social development, however, it has been mostly overlooked or taken for
granted by policy makers. This has an enormous impact on women’s poverty and their
enjoyment of rights – as they do the majority of unpaid care”.

She wants States to “ensure that the necessary public services and infrastructure –
including childcare, healthcare, water and energy provision – are in place to support
care, especially in disadvantaged areas. Tackling the unequal distribution of unpaid
work between men and women is an essential step toward achieving gender equality”.

In May 2008, Magdalena was appointed the Special Rapporteur, Extreme Poverty by the UNHRC.

Read more here.