Care Work & the Care Economy: Policies and International Labour Standards

Knowledge sharing on ILS, Policies and Case law on Care Work

Care Work & the Care Economy: Policies and International Labour Standards

24 juin–19 juillet 2024
Le cours est disponible en English
Présentation du cours

The care economy has moved to centre stage in global policy agendas. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities in the labour market and the imbalance between women and men regarding unpaid housework and care work. These additional demands on women forced many to quit paid work altogether, making their re-entry into the labour market more challenging as economies and societies recover from the pandemic. Regarding care as a sector, according to the ILO Care work report, the global care work-force represents 11.5 per cent of total global employment, and it is estimated that increasing investment in the care economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will result in a total of 475 million jobs by 2030. The global care workforce includes care workers in various sectors such as education, health and social work, domestic workers and non-care workers in care sectors, who support care service provision. Overall, care workers remain some of the most vulnerable workers in the global economy. This situation has exposed the urgent need to address the unequal share of unpaid care work between women and men and between families, communities, the market and the State, with a significant regulatory role, beyond provision. Investing in frameworks of transformative care policies with quality care jobs benefits all workers, children, businesses, societies, and the planet. Through this capacity-development programme, participants will explore how to successfully promote decent work in care work and enable a more balanced sharing of family responsibilities. The course includes live virtual sessions with international experts and self-guided online modules, covering strategies and tools to identify transformative policies in care work and the care economy, with a strong focus on international labour standards.

Groupes cibles

Representatives from Ministries of Labour, Gender Equality and Social Policies fields, Social partners, academics, Equal opportunities Units, Associations of domestic workers, long-term care workers, nursing personnel, and persons interested in care work and the care economy.

Objective and content of the event

The three-day debate aims to provide an outstanding opportunity to analyse and discuss the implications and challenges brought about by the effects of the current decent work deficits and the impact on labour disputes concerning substantive rights for care workers.

Drawing on the guidance from International Labour Standards (ILS), the knowledge sharing facilitates also a comparative.

What will I gain from the event?

More specifically, the event intends to promote an international debate on the guiding role and effective implementation of the International Labour Standards (ILS) in a fragmented and challenging context related to the safeguard of minimum rights and protections for all workers in the care economy.

What topics does this event cover?

During the three-day event participants will have the opportunity to update knowledge and share experiences & case studies on the following topics:

  • Recent comparative studies at international level on the challenges in care work;
  • Transformative policies and gender equality
  • Effective implementation of relevant ILS;
  • Analysis of Case Law;
  • Comparative analysis of the trends worldwide.
How is this event organized?

The programme is designed to engage participants in immersive debate to discuss the tough challenges. The programme will be interactive and participatory and will be structured as follows:

  • Live webinars on the above mentioned topics with the involvement of International experts,
  • interactive discussions on case studies,
  • Presentation of key findings.

The online knowledge-sharing event is structured in two main components:

  1. Asynchronous phase: in the E Campus Towards decent work in the care economy participants will have the opportunity to consult and share the following resources :
    • Virtual library,
    • Access to Continuing Legal Education on ILS ( CLE) – Module 1,
    • Results of thematic discussions,
    • Collection of case studies and practices.
  2. Synchronous phase: during n. 3 live webinars participants will be actively involved in thematic review, peer-to-peer learning, - discussions in plenary sessions.
Who are the resource persons?

The event offers an interactive discussion facilitated by international experts from the ILO, EU, OECD, Social Partners and Academic institutions worldwide.

What is the language of the event?

The course is offered in English and Spanish. A good command of the working language is required.

How much does the event cost?

The tuition fee for the course is 470 Euros.

Tuition cost must be paid in advance before the beginning of the activity by the participant or the sponsor through bank transfer or credit card.

  • Payments by bank transfer should be made to:
  • International Training Centre of the ILO Account No. 560002
  • Bank: Intesa-Sanpaolo Ag. 523
  • IBAN: IT96 G030 6909 2141 0000 0560 002
  • BIC: BCITITMM
  • Address: Viale Maestri del Lavoro 10, 10127 Turin – Italy

Note: on the bank transfer form, the participant’s name and the activity code should be indicated. For payments by credit card, please e-mail to ils@itcilo.org.

For detailed information regarding payments, cancellations and refunds, please consult: https://www.itcilo.org/applications-payments-cancellation

How to apply?

The deadline for submission of applications is 18 June 2023. Candidates must submit the application by clicking on the following link: https://oarf2.itcilo.org/DST/A9716077/en

Are there any fellowships?

A limited number of fellowships are available to qualified candidates coming from eligible countries.

As an Organization dedicated to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, the ILO is taking a leading role in international efforts to foster gender equality. In line with this ILO focus, women are particularly encouraged to apply to ITCILO courses.

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