A feminist political economy analysis of public policies related to care: a thematic review

This review aims to identify the political economy conditions of unpaid care concerns and visiblity on domestic policy agendas

Abstract

Unpaid care work is directly linked to the economic empowerment of women and girls. There is a large and robust body of evidence about the extent of unpaid care work that women and girls do, and its contributions to both the economy and human development outcomes. But is this evidence being used to inform public policy?

Doing so would include recognising the role of women and girls in the provision of unpaid care; the need to reduce the drudgery of unpaid care; and the need to redistribute unpaid care work (from women to men, and from the family to communities and the state), thus laying the basis for true gender equality.

This review of secondary material aims to identify the political economy conditions of where, why, when and how unpaid care concerns become more visible on domestic policy agendas.

Citation

Chopra, D.; Kelbert, A.W.; Iyer, P. A feminist political economy analysis of public policies related to care: a thematic review. Evidence report No.9. Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Brighton, UK (2013) 75 pp.

A feminist political economy analysis of public policies related to care: a thematic review. Evidence report No.9 (PDF, 692KB)

Published 1 January 2013