The true measure of a society’s development lies in the strength of its foundational systems. At the center of these systems is care work; the quiet labour that sustains households, enables economic participation, and supports human development.

Yet across the world, care work remains one of the most overused, undervalued, and least recognized sectors of the economy. Care work is what keeps societies functioning, but it is often treated as invisible.

It is frequently excluded from health policies, marginalized in economic planning, and disproportionately carried by women and girls. This imbalance is not accidental. It is deeply rooted in social norms that frame care as a private responsibility rather than a public service.

For generations, women have shouldered the bulk of care work out of love, duty, and cultural expectation. Many have done so at the cost of their education, careers, physical health, and mental well-being.

Time is long overdue to make care work visible, valued, and supported as a critical driver of inclusive and sustainable growth.

Value of Care Work and the Care Economy

Care work is what meets people’s physical, emotional, educational, and social needs.

• Direct care involves tasks such as feeding a child, nursing the sick, supporting people with disabilities, or teaching.
• Indirect care includes cooking, cleaning, laundry, and managing household logistics.

Paid care work spans professions such as nursing, teaching, social work, childcare, and domestic work. Unpaid care, most often performed by family members remains essential to daily life but is rarely counted in economic statistics or policy frameworks.

The care economy refers to the entire system of paid and unpaid care work. Its economic and social value is enormous. Every day, millions of people provide the labour that keeps households stable and economies productive. If unpaid care work were included in global GDP calculations, it would account for nearly 9 percent of the global economy, equivalent to about US$11 trillion.

Investment in the care economy also delivers strong economic returns. According to World Economic Forum estimates, investing US$1.3 trillion in professional care services could unlock US$3.1 trillion in GDP growth and create more than 10 million new jobs globally. These figures translate into real outcomes: staffed classrooms, functioning hospitals, and families able to balance work and life because care systems are supported rather than strained.

Care Work and Women’s Health

Globally, women perform approximately 76% of unpaid care work, amounting to over 11 billion hours every day. In Nigeria, this burden is especially pronounced. Only 6.9% of women are in formal employment, while the majority work in informal settings or outside paid labour altogether. This reflects widespread time poverty caused by unpaid caregiving responsibilities.

On average, women spend three times more hours than men on unpaid domestic and care work. The personal cost is significant.

Continuous caregiving is linked to elevated stress hormones, slower physical recovery, and increased risks of depression, anxiety, and emotional distress.

The repetitive and physically demanding nature of care work also contributes to chronic exhaustion, musculoskeletal disorders, and long-term health decline.

Access to affordable childcare, home health aides, and eldercare services reduces physical strain and helps prevent stress-related illnesses. In countries with strong public care systems, such as those in the Nordic region, women report higher life satisfaction and lower levels of care-related burnout compared to global averages.

Formalizing paid care work is equally important. Fair wages, regulated working hours, health insurance, and maternity benefits improve working conditions and expand women’s access to healthcare and social protection. When care workers are protected, both caregivers and care recipients benefit.

The Economic Case for Investing in Care

Neglecting the care economy carries serious economic costs. In Nigeria, 82.1% of women are engaged in informal work, often alongside heavy unpaid care responsibilities. This limits their access to stable income, financial security, and leadership opportunities, while reducing overall labour force participation.

Gender gaps in education and employment are estimated to cost Nigeria between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of GDP annually. Maternal mortality alone reduces Africa’s per capita GDP by approximately US$0.36 per death each year, highlighting the direct link between women’s health, care responsibilities, and economic performance.

Nigeria’s Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, launched in 2023, provides a strategic pathway to address these challenges. The policy aims to reduce unpaid care burdens through affordable childcare, eldercare, and health services; integrate care infrastructure into financial inclusion and digital access initiatives; formalize care work through decent jobs, fair pay, and social protection; and increase female labour force participation from 55 percent to 65 percent.

When fully implemented, the WEE Policy has the potential to transform care work from an invisible burden into a recognized economic sector. It can improve women’s health outcomes, expand economic participation, boost productivity, and support sustainable development.

Ultimately, investing in care is not just a social obligation. It is a smart economic strategy. Societies that value care work invest in human capital, resilience, and long-term growth. And perhaps more importantly, they recognize that development begins at home, in the everyday labour that sustains life itself.

Praise Eberechi Azubuike

Abuja, Nigeria