October 29, International Day of Care and Support

October 29th is International Care and Support Day and was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize, value and redistribute care work and promote the care economy.

Care work, paid or unpaid, is essential for social well-being and decent work. Population aging, new family models, and gender inequality make it urgent to reorganize how this work is provided and valued. If no action is taken, the shortage of care services could trigger a global crisis and deepen gender gaps.

Care work encompasses both direct tasks, such as looking after a child or a sick person, and indirect tasks, such as cooking or cleaning. Although much of this work is unpaid, it is a key component of the economic system. Paid care work includes nurses, doctors, domestic workers, and other essential workers who sustain daily life.

The UN, for its part, highlights the importance of:
• Value, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work.
• Guarantee labor rights, decent wages and safe conditions for caregivers.
• Eliminate gender stereotypes and other forms of discrimination in the sector.

For all these reasons, the Torrevieja City Council's Department of Equality, with funding from the Ministry of Equality's Co-responsibility Plan grant, is joining in the commemoration of this day by presenting a video available on our social media channels (Facebook, website, Instagram). The video depicts a typical morning in Julia's daily life, highlighting the mental load she experiences and the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities. This mental load is a symptom of gender inequality that has negative consequences for women's physical and mental health.

Sharing responsibilities benefits us all.

For genuine co-responsibility.