"Unpaid caregiving, including child and elder care, care for ill or disabled family members, and household tasks such as cooking and cleaning, is a significant household activity in all countries, yet policies related to employment promotion and poverty reduction are often made without considering the impact of such activities. The still-prevailing belief is that care work is primarily a family duty and responsibility and of little direct relevance to economic development. This neglect ignores the realities that households face: the unequal burden of care withinhouseholds, the impact on girls and women who bear the brunt of that burden, and the limited capability of low-resource households to provide adequate care for their members. Unpaid care work is critical, but remains “invisible."

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on unpaid caregiving in the home. When public and private services are shut down or incapacitated, the ability of household members to care for one another becomes our sole option for comfort and even survival. Understanding the magnitude of future care need is a first step in planning for adequate caregiving in countries and for ensuring that that need is met." [King, Randolph, Floro and Suh, 2021]