ILO Launches South4Care to Advance Decent Work in Global Care Economy

The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with its International Training Centre (ITCILO), has launched South4Care, a new global initiative designed to strengthen South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in building sustainable, inclusive, and decent work opportunities within the global care economy.

The platform, unveiled at a high-level event in Doha, Qatar, brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, UN agencies, and development partners. It aims to transform the care sector—often undervalued and underfunded—into a key driver of social justice, gender equality, and long-term economic resilience.

Why Care Matters Globally

Globally, the care economy represents one of the fastest-growing sectors of employment, yet it remains plagued by informality, gender inequality, and underinvestment. The disproportionate burden of unpaid care work carried by women continues to block their access to decent work and full participation in the economy.

The ILO estimates that better-regulated and formalized care systems could create millions of decent jobs worldwide, improve productivity, and significantly close gender gaps in employment and wages.

“Care economy, if duly regulated and formalized, is a driver of job creation as one of the fastest-growing sectors; it not only helps reduce the gender gap by easing the disproportionate burden of unpaid care on women, but also enables them to access decent work opportunities, thereby boosting productivity and strengthening long-term economic resilience,” said Francesco d’Ovidio, Director of the ILO Office for the State of Qatar.

Components of South4Care

The initiative has two main pillars:

1. South4Care Platform – Hosted on the ILO’s Global Care Policy Portal, this digital hub curates illustrative practices from across the Global South, policy tools, and resources to help governments and social partners advance their commitments. It functions as a peer learning and knowledge-sharing space for decision-makers.

2. South4Care Learning Hub – A biennial, in-person and virtual capacity-building programme organized with ITCILO. Rotating across ILO regions, it will equip policymakers, unions, and employer representatives with practical skills to design, finance, and implement care policies.

By combining digital resources with hands-on training and international collaboration, South4Care aims to translate global commitments into tangible actions at national and regional levels.

High-Level Launch in Doha

The launch in Doha drew participants from across the Arab States region and beyond. Ruba Jaradat, ILO Regional Director for Arab States, thanked Qatar for hosting the event and highlighted its importance:

“We are very happy to work with our constituents in the Arab States region and beyond to enhance knowledge sharing and mutual learning to promote decent work and the care economy through the first edition of the South4Care Learning Hub.”

The gathering also featured the first in-person session of the Learning Hub, with 88 participants from 30 countries. Regional dialogues, partner roundtables, and tripartite panels enabled governments, employers, and workers to collectively explore policy priorities, financing models, and opportunities for collaboration.

A Catalyst for Collaboration

Sukti Dasgupta, Director of the ILO’s Conditions of Work and Equality Department, underscored that South4Care is more than a platform—it is a catalyst for collaboration that allows countries in the Global South to share experiences, highlight innovative practices, and scale up successful models.

The initiative also directly responds to the ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy, adopted at the International Labour Conference in 2024, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to making care a central pillar of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Looking Ahead

By positioning care as both a human right and an economic driver, South4Care seeks to tackle systemic barriers in the sector while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on gender equality, decent work, and social protection.

The outcomes from the inaugural Learning Hub in Doha will feed into future editions across other ILO regions, helping to shape a globally inclusive approach to care policy that empowers women, improves working conditions, and builds resilience into national economies.