The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on African governments to increase investment in public care systems and strengthen labour protections for care workers across the continent.
The organisation said paid and unpaid care work remains undervalued, underpaid and largely overlooked in public policies and national budgets, despite its significant contribution to economic growth and social development.
ITUC-Africa made the call in a statement issued on October 29, 2026, to commemorate the International Day of Care and Support, observed under the theme, “Building Sustainable Care and Support Systems Through Decent Work.”
It highlighted the disproportionate burden of unpaid care responsibilities on African women and girls, noting that women across the continent spend more than three times as many hours as men on unpaid care work.
According to the organisation, more than one-third of African women who are outside the labour force are unable to take up employment because of care responsibilities, compared with fewer than one in 20 men.
It further noted that young women in rural West Africa spend four times as many hours on unpaid care work as their male counterparts, limiting their opportunities to pursue education, acquire vocational skills, secure decent employment and participate in trade union activities.
The organisation also expressed concern over the working conditions of domestic workers, community health workers, early childhood educators, nurses and home-based carers, many of whom are women and migrants.
It said many care workers operate in the informal economy, earn poverty-level wages, lack social protection and face exposure to violence and harassment in their workplaces.
ITUC-Africa warned that poor working conditions for care workers ultimately undermine the quality of care available to society, stressing the need to recognise care work as an essential part of economic and social development.
The organisation also observed that Africa has the weakest care coverage globally, while demand for care services continues to increase due to population growth, urbanisation, climate change and an ageing population.
To address these challenges, ITUC-Africa called on African governments, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to prioritise investment in accessible and quality public care services, including childcare, long-term care and healthcare.
It also urged governments to improve basic infrastructure, particularly access to water, electricity and clean cooking facilities, to reduce the burden of unpaid care work, especially on women and girls.
The labour organisation further called for the implementation of the International Labour Organisation’s 2024 Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy, alongside the adoption of national care policies based on the 5R framework.
It urged African countries to ratify and implement key ILO conventions covering domestic workers, workers with family responsibilities, maternity protection, violence and harassment, and social security.
Other recommendations include guaranteeing living wages, equal pay for work of equal value, formal employment contracts, safe working environments, social protection and the right of care workers to organise and engage in collective bargaining.
The organisation also advocated extending social protection to informal economy workers and unpaid carers, as well as providing adequately funded paid parental leave for both women and men.
Reaffirming its commitment to improving the welfare and representation of care workers, ITUC-Africa said it would intensify efforts to organise workers, particularly young women and those in the informal economy, to strengthen their collective voice.
The statement was signed by the organisation’s General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, in Lomé, Togo, on October 29, 2026.
