Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work

The Fair Share report outlines how gender-equitable investments in health and care work can help fully recognize the value of health and care work, to drive fairer and more inclusive economies and better health outcomes. The report presents six policy levers to better value health and care work:

1. Improve working conditions for all forms of health and care work, especially for highly feminised occupations
2. Include women more equitably in the paid labour workforce
3. Enhance conditions of work and wages in the health and care workforce and ensure equal pay for work of equal value
4. Address the gender gap in care, support quality care work and uphold the rights and wellbeing of caregivers 
5. Ensure that national statistics account for, measure and value all health and care work
6. Invest in robust public health systems.

Investments in health and care systems not only accelerate progress on UHC, they redistribute unpaid health and care work. Health systems need to recognize, value and invest in all forms health and care work.