BRASILIA – This week, Brazil took centre stage in the G20 discussions by highlighting the crucial role of caregiving work, emphasised by philosopher Silvia Federici’s poignant statement: “what they call love, we call unpaid work.” The Women’s Empowerment Working Group (WG) concluded its meeting on Tuesday, marking significant strides toward a consensus declaration for the upcoming ministerial meeting in October.
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Federal Government made a groundbreaking move by proposing a National Caregiving Policy to Congress. This policy, crafted with input from 20 ministries, aims to protect the rights of caregivers and those they support. The initiative underscores the government’s commitment to addressing caregiving at a national level.
The recent WG meeting, coordinated by the Ministry of Women, featured an international seminar and progressed a consensual declaration on caregiving work. This meeting, held from July 8-9 in Brasília, focused on the often-overlooked burdens borne by women in caregiving roles. Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics revealed that women spend 9.6 more hours per week on domestic chores and caregiving than men, with 92% of women over 14 engaged in such tasks.
Maria Helena Guarezi, executive secretary at the Ministry of Women, highlighted the universal nature of these challenges. “It is worth noting that all countries look at this issue from a similar perspective. Naturally, we must respect the geographic, climate, cultural, and political diversity, but all G20 members have been discussing the issue of caregiving as an important element for development and even for the growth of their GDP,” she noted. An Oxfam report supports this, estimating women contribute at least USD 10.8 trillion annually through unpaid caregiving.
Guarezi also emphasised the importance of a joint declaration, which will be a historic first for the WG. This document aims to address caregiving work, life sustainability, and gender equality in global governance. “A consensus document must be dealt with democratically, open to everyone. It is important to say that all the countries that participated in this process consider this declaration to be fundamental as it will be the first declaration in the history of the WG,”
The international seminar held in Brasília on July 9-10 delved into caregiving work’s impact on life and the economy. Panels discussed global issues, time usage, and public policies, with a focus sharpened by the COVID-19 pandemic’s spotlight on caregiving.
Rosane Silva, national secretary for Economic Autonomy and Caregiving Policy, stressed the need for men to share caregiving responsibilities. “Inside the family, men need to be responsible for caregiving tasks. If caregiving is so essential to ensure the sustainability of human life, then it must be shared among everyone, with all that share their daily lives with us. A man will not be less manly if he does laundry or the dishes, if he takes care of a child or an elderly person. If we, the women, can do it, and for free and without being valued for it, men can also do it,” she argued.
“Debating the theme of caregiving in a seminar like the one we just had in this Working Group, in this space where economies are being discussed, is not only symbolic; it is a paradigm shift,” added the Ministry’s executive secretary.
The discussions also included considerations of class, race, ethnicity, and regional disparities, ensuring a comprehensive debate on intersectionality.
Looking ahead, the WG will convene twice more in October, culminating in the Ministerial meeting where the joint declaration will be finalised. An innovative event with the Finance Track is also planned to reinforce the importance of women’s economic participation to G20 leaders.
Brazil’s leadership in these discussions marks a significant step forward in recognising and addressing the invaluable yet often invisible work of caregiving, setting a precedent for global economic and social policies.