How Europe and Latin America are building a better Care Economy together

The COVID-19 pandemic may feel like a distant memory for many, but its impact - especially on the most vulnerable members of society - will resonate for a long time. While headlines focused on lockdowns, vaccines, and economic recovery, the crisis quietly exposed a fundamental truth: care is the invisible backbone of our societies. Yet, despite its critical role, care work remains undervalued, underfunded, and unevenly distributed.

At the height of the pandemic, millions of families and individuals struggled to access high quality, affordable care services. This was not just a challenge in Europe, but also in Latin America and the Caribbean. The crisis laid bare the fragility of global care systems, revealing three stark realities.

1. There is a chronic lack of recognition for care work, whether paid or unpaid.
2. Care policies and infrastructure are often inadequate, leaving gaps that disproportionately affect those who need support the most.
3. The burden of care falls overwhelmingly on households-and particularly on women.

This unequal distribution of care responsibilities has far-reaching consequences. When women spend three times as many hours as men on unpaid care and domestic work, their ability to participate in the labour market - and achieve economic independence - is severely limited.

• “Women spend three times as many hours as men in unpaid care and domestic work, limiting their access to decent work.” - UN Women, 2020

Because if this, care issues are not just limited to the health sector. They have considerable economic and social impact.

Centre Stage for Care Economy

In recent years, the conversation around care has shifted dramatically. The Care Economy is now increasingly central. It's a transformation that has been driven, in part, by landmark events such as the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Conference World Conference on Women in 2020, which rekindled conversations about gender equality and the role of care in achieving it. 

Initiatives like the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights and the Global Alliance for Care have further propelled care into the spotlight by framing it as a cornerstone of sustainable development and social justice.

In 2022, the European Union took a significant step forward with the launch of its European Care Strategy. This ambitious plan aims to ensure that quality, affordable, and accessible care is available to all citizens, regardless of their age, location, or socioeconomic status. 

Europe’s 2022 Care Strategy

The strategy is built on three main elements:

1. It focuses on early childhood education and care, recognising that access to reliable childcare is essential for enabling women to participate fully in the labour market. By providing high-quality and affordable services-even in rural or disadvantaged areas-the EU hopes to break down one of the most persistent barriers to gender equality.
2. The strategy addresses long-term care, a growing concern as Europe’s population ages. This demographic shift will place enormous pressure on care systems, making it crucial to ensure that long-term care is timely, comprehensive, and affordable. The goal is to allow older adults and people with disabilities to maintain their dignity and quality of life.
3. Finally, the strategy seeks to improve working conditions for care professionals. This includes attract more people-particularly men-into the care sector.

From Buenos Aires to Tlatelolco

Latin America and the Caribbean have also made significant strides in recognising the importance of care givers. At the 15th Regional Conference on Women in 2022, governments from across the region came together to address the issue head-on. The result was the Buenos Aires Commitment, that places care at the centre of the region’s social and economic agenda. The commitment reflects a growing understanding that care is not just a private responsibility, but a public priority. By 2050, nearly one in four people in Latin America will be aged 60 or older - a total of approximately 193 million people, according to a 2022 report from ECLAC.

• By 2050, the number of people in the EU aged 65-or-over is expected to rise from 90.5 million to 129.8 million, according to projections from Eurostat in 2023.

This demographic shift will require a fundamental rethinking of how care is provided, funded, and valued. The Buenos Aires Commitment aims to ensure that the rights of both care receivers and providers are protected, creating a more equitable and sustainable system for all.

Then, at the subsequent 16th Regional Conference on Women held in Mexico City, the region took an even bolder step with the adoption of the Tlatelolco Commitment in August 2025. In this landmark agreement, the Member States of ECLAC committed to a Decade of Action (2025-2035) to build a “care society” — recognising that giving care, receiving care and self-care are part of a human right, and a responsibility shared by households, communities, private actors and States. 

EU-LAC shared vision

As it held the Presidency of the European Union in 2023, Spain brought new momentum to work behind the care economy, playing a pivotal role in fostering dialogue between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. It brought together policymakers, experts, and advocates to reflect on progress and further challenges.

The Third EU-CELAC Summit marked a turning point, as its joint declaration included a pledge to consolidate and expand initiatives aimed at promoting social justice. Bi-regional cooperation on the matter has continued since then: the EU was present at the Care Pavilion organised by the EU-LAC Foundation in the 4^th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, as well as in ECLAC’s XVI Regional Conference on Women, which focused on care and led to the adoption of the Tlatelolco Commitment. Moreover, the European Parliament (DLAT) has discussed with different stakeholders the possibility to achieve an EU-LAC bi-regional Pact on Care, a platform that was requested by civil society during the 2023 EU-CELAC Summit, and that would extend bi-regional cooperation to this important field.

An enhanced bi-regional cooperation in the field of care would allow Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean to conduct insightful exchanges of progress and good practices in care policies, systems and programmes, including policy and regulatory frameworks, governance mechanisms and institutional architecture of care systems. Both regions would bring different perspectives and experiences to the table, creating an opportunity for mutual learning and innovation with the goal of strengthening their care systems

• Latin America will need 30 million care-related jobs by 2050 - UN Women, 2025

Gender equality investment

Investing in care is an investment in gender equality. The demographic shifts in both regions present major challenges, but they also offer huge opportunities for economic and social transformation.

Women have historically borne the brunt of unpaid care work, limiting their ability to pursue education, careers, and economic independence. By creating decent, well-paid jobs in the care sector-and ensuring that men are equally encouraged to enter the field-societies can begin to redress this imbalance.

Developing sustainable, inclusive care systems benefits everyone. Societies as a whole become more resilient when care is treated like a collective responsibility, rather than a private burden.

The partnership between Europe and Latin America is a testament to the power of collaboration in addressing global challenges. These two regions can lead the way in creating a fairer, more caring world-one that values the contributions of care workers.