Care as a Human Right and a Public Good: Evidence and Guidance for Latin America and the Caribbean

This policy brief argues that care must be recognised as a human right, a public good and an essential public investment, rather than a private responsibility that falls disproportionately on women and girls. Drawing on ten action-research projects across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries, coordinated by GRADE with UNRISD, the Global Alliance for Care, IDRC and the Ford Foundation, it shows that care policies can improve wellbeing, free up time, strengthen economic autonomy, professionalise care work, expand access to other public services and support more intersectional approaches. It also identifies shared challenges to build care systems under a human right-based approach, including weak institutionalisation, insufficient sustained funding, persistent gender stereotypes, limited data and low levels of social participation. In response, it recommends strengthening the role of the State, securing public financing, designing policies through participatory processes, incorporating gender and intersectional approaches, supporting local capacities and protecting the rights of those who provide care.