Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work
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World Health Organization
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viii, 95 p.
This report examines the global undervaluation of health and care work through a gender lens, highlighting how deeply rooted gender norms shape the recognition, remuneration and conditions of work across the health and care sector. Drawing on a gender-transformative framework and a synthesis of global evidence and data, it analyses the interconnected effects of unpaid care responsibilities, labour force participation, earnings disparities, working conditions, data gaps and patterns of investment. The report emphasizes that women form the majority of the paid health and care workforce and undertake most unpaid care work, making gender inequality central to understanding the sector’s persistent undervaluation. Using the Gender Value Gaps framework, the publication identifies and quantifies key gaps in care, participation, earnings and working conditions, supported by an assessment of deficiencies in gender-disaggregated data and chronic underinvestment in health and care systems. It argues that these gaps undermine gender equality, weaken health systems and contribute to a broader global crisis of care. The report outlines policy approaches to address these challenges, including support for equitable care provision, improved labour force participation, fair pay, better working conditions, stronger data systems and sustained public investment, with the aim of strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage and gender equality.
This report examines the global undervaluation of health and care work through a gender lens, highlighting how deeply rooted gender norms shape the recognition, remuneration and conditions of work across the health and care sector. Drawing on a gender-transformative framework and a synthesis of global evidence and data, it analyses the interconnected effects of unpaid care responsibilities, labour force participation, earnings disparities, working conditions, data gaps and patterns of investment. The report emphasizes that women form the majority of the paid health and care workforce and undertake most unpaid care work, making gender inequality central to understanding the sector’s persistent undervaluation. Using the Gender Value Gaps framework, the publication identifies and quantifies key gaps in care, participation, earnings and working conditions, supported by an assessment of deficiencies in gender-disaggregated data and chronic underinvestment in health and care systems. It argues that these gaps undermine gender equality, weaken health systems and contribute to a broader global crisis of care. The report outlines policy approaches to address these challenges, including support for equitable care provision, improved labour force participation, fair pay, better working conditions, stronger data systems and sustained public investment, with the aim of strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage and gender equality.