Redefining Roles: UN Women’s Push for Men’s Engagement in the Care Economy

Earlier this year, UN Women issued a call to invest in the care economy and elevate the role of men within it. Central to this effort is the involvement of men and boys in unpaid care and domestic work—a crucial step toward achieving equal pay. By redistributing unpaid care responsibilities, we empower women and girls and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities worldwide. 

High-ranking officials and ministers from ten international institutions and governments made a global pledge to strengthen the care economy, including through the involvement of men and boys in unpaid care and domestic work, as a way to reduce poverty of women and girls and promote the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities across the world.

Titled, The Care Economy in an Evolving World: Equal Sharing of Caregiving and Household Responsibilities between Men and Women as Tool for Social Equity and Cohesion, the CSW68 side event aimed to shed light on the evolving dynamics within families, emphasizing the importance of caregiving for all –and especially children, the elderly and individuals with illnesses, while also advocating for the increased involvement of men and boys in unpaid caregiving and household responsibilities.

Globally, women spend around three times as many hours on unpaid care work as men weekly. According to data from UN Women, this gap continues to grow in the Arab region, where women are still performing many more hours than men in unpaid care work:  between 17 and 34 hours per week, compared to only between 1 to 5 hours per week invested by men, depending on the country.

According to a UN Women’s study in the Arab region released in 2023 that was highlighted during the event, 86 per cent of the decision makers from the five Arab countries targeted by the research expressed their support to extending the duration of paternity leave in their countries. Further, 62 per cent of the decision makers believed that men’s involvement in childcare should be part of the national public agendas. This groundbreaking research of UN Women captured for the first time ever the views on paternity leave and men’s involvement in childcare from 1,154 decision makers from governments, private sector and civil society organizations from Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.

This CSW68 side event was organized with support from the UN Women’s ‘Dare to Care’ regional programme – a regional initiative in the Arab States funded by Sweden, Germany and the Basque Country.

Quotes from some high-ranking officials delivered during the event:

“Men and boys play a key role in the care economy. UN Women’s data shows that equal sharing of household responsibilities between men and women is key to achieve healthy and thriving families, communities and societies. It also shows that engaged fatherhood can lead to positive outcomes related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and children.  Legal reforms for equal, non-transferable and fully paid parental leave for all parents are a step in the right direction.” - Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director

 

"For years, various countries, both from the Global North and the Arab region, have implemented legislation and measures to encourage men to participate in unpaid household responsibilities and care, while urging women to expand their roles beyond unpaid caregiving and domestic work. This aims to redefine the role of fathers in family care and promote their active involvement in such important unpaid work. As the world rapidly evolves, we recognize that strengthening family bonds, which we consider the bedrock of safety, stability, and social integration, entails fostering partnerships and gender equality in household responsibilities." - Excellency Dr. Fadia Kiwan, Director-General, Arab Women Organization

“The participation of men in household chores and caregiving undoubtedly sets a positive example for children within the family, particularly boys. This plays a significant role in shaping their mindset, breaking down traditional gender roles, and contributing to the advancement of a society rooted in gender equality.” - Excellency Claudine Aoun, President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women

"Fifty years ago, Sweden was the first country in the world to make it possible for fathers to stay at home with their children with paid parental leave. The right for both women and men to work and support themselves, as well as to balance work and family life, is one of the keys to Sweden’s growth and prosperity. Through our investments in international development, we have also proudly invested in promoting equality inside and outside the households across the world, including in the Arab region.” - Excellency Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, Sweden

Read the original press release on UN Women Arab States website