Over 16 billion hours are spent on unpaid care work every day – a reality that many of us had to confront during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools and daycares were shuttered.
If care work—as priceless as it is—was actually counted in real GDP estimates, this would be valued at over $11 trillion.
While it is hard to put a price to something as intangible and priceless as care, millions of young women and men do this work every day, and are usually underpaid and ill protected.
Despite its poor status, the positive impact of care has been well documented. For example, investing in early childhood care alone is well known to not only improve the health and educational outcomes for a generation of children, but also creates thousands of jobs, while also enabling caregivers to work outside the home.
Care work is the invisible, human infrastructure that underpins our world, and enables our families, societies, and economies to thrive.
SHARMI SURIANARAIN
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sharmi Surianarain is the founder and Executive Director of Making Caring Count. She also currently serves as the Chief Impact Officer, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator in South Africa. Sharmi is an advocate for opportunity for young people, particularly across the African continent.
