Across Britain, paid and unpaid care work remains undervalued and ignored: here are six ways governments can change that

Silvia Galandini Poverty in the UK, Research, Women's Economic Empowerment

Being a parent, unpaid carer or paid care worker in Wales, Scotland or England too often means being forced into hardship. Silvia Galandini and Claire Spoors introduce Oxfam’s new paper, which sets out how to break the link between care and poverty.

How the pregnancy penalty supercharges global inequality

Anthony Kamande Gender, Rights, Women's Economic Empowerment

In a blog for International Women’s Day, new parent Anthony Kamande reflects on the heavy cost his partner and family have paid for the simple act of having a baby. The world, and especially its poorer countries, needs a pregnancy rights revolution, he says, and international funders such as the IMF must play their part.

It’s time for the World Bank to show it truly cares about unpaid care

Fiana Arbab Gender, Influencing, Women's Economic Empowerment

The next funding cycle for the World Bank’s International Development Association could top $100bn – and, says Fiana Arbab, we must keep a close eye on the fraction of that being committed to transforming the lives of the billions of women doing care work.

How can businesses show they really care about carers?

Fatema Tuz Johoora Livelihoods, Private sector, Women's Economic Empowerment

Firms that boost support for workers with unpaid care and domestic work responsibilities are waking up to the fact that this not only enhances women’s rights and wellbeing, but also productivity. In the first in a blog series for the International Day of Care, Fatema Tuz Johoora, Achmad Fuad Fathurrahman and Leah Payud share insights from pilots in Indonesia and the Philippines of an Oxfam care toolkit for business launching soon.

I’m an unpaid carer: I have no paid job – but I do have value

Katy Styles Influencing, Poverty in the UK, Women's Economic Empowerment

The value of unpaid care for disabled, ill and older people in the UK is equal to the entire budget of the NHS, yet it’s not even counted in our GDP. In a blog for Carers Week, Katy Styles explains why she founded the grassroots, volunteer-led We Care campaign to demand a new deal for the millions of invisible carers like her.

How can we tell a new story that boosts support for all care and carers?

Silvia Galandini Influencing, Poverty in the UK, Research

The millions of paid and unpaid carers across the UK – including parents and guardians of children, social care and childcare workers, and unpaid carers for disabled, ill and elderly people – desperately need a new deal. Silvia Galandini, Anam Parvez (both Oxfam GB) and Nick Gadsby (The Answer) introduce a new toolkit that can help build public pressure for change, by constructing a fresh and compelling narrative about the value of all care.

It’s time for the UK to start caring about its carers

Anam Parvez Gender, Poverty in the UK, Women's Economic Empowerment

Millions of people provide essential paid and unpaid care such as support for children, disabled, ill and older people. Yet their huge contribution contrasts starkly with threadbare state support for their work. Anam Parvez and Silvia Galandini look at the high price carers, and especially women, pay for society undervaluing care – and the policies we need to fix our broken care infrastructure.

So much of the work that millions of Asian women do is invisible: here’s how to change that and value unpaid care

Myrah Nerine Butt Gender, Research, Women's Economic Empowerment

The huge economic contribution of women carers in Asia and the Pacific remains invisible, undervalued and unsupported by governments. Changing that means better research, investment in public services, and including carers in policy making, say Myrah Nerine Butt and Saleha Shah

Migrant women are raising their voices against an unjust childcare system: it’s time to listen to them

Veronica Deutsch Gender, Influencing, Women's Economic Empowerment

Whether depriving nannies of labour rights, or locking mothers out of child benefit, the UK can be a callous place for migrant childcare workers and parents, says Veronica Deutsch. And the battle to reform the childcare system starts by listening to the women affected.

Asian countries are making women and carers pay a painful price for austerity

Myrah Nerine Butt Research, Violence Against Women and Girls, Women's Economic Empowerment

A recent analysis by Oxfam ranked Asia as the worst global region for investment in public services. In our final blog for the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, Myrah Nerine Butt spells out how such economic policy choices add up to structural violence against Asian women