Browse by Theme: Dignified Work

Increasing gender gaps in the world of work demonstrate the deep and persistent barriers that women face to realise their economic rights and opportunities. COVID-19 has further deepened gender inequalities, and climate change is threatening women’s and girls’ lives, livelihoods and economic opportunities. At the same time, an inclusive green transition holds break-through potential for unlocking women’s economic opportunities. This report provides evidence on how sustainable approaches to women’s entrepreneurship, formal and informal work, and redefining the concept of green jobs, can lead to a green, inclusive and gender-just future.

The report recommends that all actors must prioritise gender equality in the transition to green economies, by integrating a gender lens in green work policies, proactively addressing the barriers to women’s economic justice and generating new and decent green work opportunities for women. It also means broadening the current definition of green jobs to include low-carbon and sustainable forms of work such as care work, working with the private sector to complement public action, and fostering women’s leadership both, in the response to the climate crisis and in the green transition.

The Made by Women strategy seeks to ensure women in the garment industry have access to decent jobs, are free from violence and harassment and can give voice to their rights at work. Engaging with women, businesses, governments and civil society partners across the supply chain, this area of work focuses on addressing some of the most fundamental barriers to women accessing their rights in the garment industry. Learn more about Made by Women's impact to date in 2020 and our focus for the future. 

COVID-19 has become an unprecedented and unpredictable global crisis. It has affected everyone, but not equally so. The pandemic is exploiting and exposing deep structural inequalities in economies, health care systems, and societies around the world, with devastating and disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable people, particularly those who live in development and humanitarian settings. Single mothers working in garment factories have lost their jobs and households’ only income,  while the pandemic is exacerbating other families’ food insecurity. For those living in areas where conflict has destroyed healthcare facilities, COVID-19 poses a uniquely terrible and acute danger.

COVID-19 has become an unprecedented and unpredictable global crisis. It is “a defining moment in human history”.  COVID-19 has affected everyone, but not equally so. The pandemic is exploiting and exposing deep structural inequalities in economies, health care systems, and societies around the world, with devastating and disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable people, particularly those who live in development and humanitarian settings. Single mothers working in garment factories have lost their jobs and households’ only income, while the pandemic is exacerbating other families’ food insecurity. For those living in areas where conflict has destroyed healthcare facilities, COVID-19 poses a uniquely terrible and acute danger.

Social movements are a critical vehicle for change around the world, including in many countries where CARE operates. This Power Tool provides guidance on how CARE (and others) can engage in strategic partnerships with social movement actors. It is based on the work of CARE in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote dignified work for domestic workers and advance their rights. Available in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.

The Made by Women strategy seeks to ensure women in the garment industry have access to decent jobs, are free from violence and harassment and can give voice to their rights at work. CARE has the ambitious goal of economically empowering 8 million women garment workers in Asia by 2021. Learn more about our impact in the 2019 Made by Women Impact Report.

Women still have fewer economic rights, less access to economic opportunities and less control over economic resources than men due to a range of social, legal and political inequalities. Women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is one of four priority areas for CARE’s work, as set out in the CARE 2020 Programme Strategy. This report articulates why and how we work to drive women’s economic empowerment, our reach and impact to date and some lessons we have learned along the way.