A recent report from the United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, released on Tuesday, has raised alarms over the global care system, which disproportionately burdens women and hinders their societal progress. The document calls for a transformative approach to how care work is valued, managed, and compensated.

The comprehensive study reveals that women perform approximately 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work daily—efforts that contribute an astounding $10.8 trillion annually to the global economy. This figure, the report suggests, should be recognized in GDP calculations, potentially accounting for about nine percent of the global GDP.

This unpaid labor is both a symptom and a perpetuator of gender inequality, with women constituting three-quarters of all unpaid care providers worldwide. The consequences of this imbalance are severe, often forcing women to compromise on their health, education, employment opportunities, and political engagement.

In response, the UN group advocates for the establishment of care systems guided by principles of equity and sustainability. It calls for greater public investment in services and the implementation of policies that encourage caregiving responsibilities to be shared more evenly across all genders.

Internationally, some countries are already making strides towards more equitable care systems. In Canada, for instance, the government aims to limit childcare costs to $10 a day by March 2026, with significant progress already made in many provinces and territories. China's 2020 Civil Code now mandates financial compensation for spouses who take on greater childcare or elderly care burdens post-divorce. Similarly, Tunisia introduced a law in 2021 that extends social security benefits to those engaged in unpaid care at home.

By addressing these inequalities, the report argues, countries will not only advance gender equality but also tackle broader societal challenges, including reducing poverty and enhancing health, education, and social protection.

This pivotal UN report serves as both a warning and a call to action, urging global leaders to reevaluate and reform the care systems that underpin our societies. The hope is that such changes will create a foundation for a more equitable and prosperous world for all genders.