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.

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.

Want to support women in enterprises in low-income countries? Here’s what Oxfam knows after many years of working with small businesses

Anoushka Boodhna Gender, Private sector, Women's Economic Empowerment

In our final blog around International Women’s Day, Anoushka Boodhna, Tamara Beradze and Anais Mangin set out seven things Oxfam has learned about supporting women in new and growing businesses in some of the poorest countries – and what we need to do differently

Change in social norms around men’s unpaid care work

Lucia Rost Gender, Women's Economic Empowerment

Social norms which restrict men’s participation in unpaid care work need to change in order to achieve gender equality. But, how do these norms change? Lucia Rost shares insight from research in northern Uganda. Domestic work and caring for people is crucial to society and the economy. Across the world, women undertake more than three-quarters of unpaid care. This perpetuates …

From burden to benefit: Reframing the conversation on care

Amber Parkes Gender, Inequality, Women's Economic Empowerment

If I said you could either invest in something that is essential or something that is a burden, which would you choose? I’m guessing most people would choose the former. How we frame things matters. From political slogans to hashtags to social justice campaigns, anyone who has tried to compel others into action knows that the words we choose are …

Lessons in innovative financing for creating employment in the Middle East and North Africa

Ahmed Elassal Livelihoods, Women's Economic Empowerment, Youth employment

Background Emerging market economies face a significant credit gap and access to finance is considered the biggest obstacle for enterprises. Banks have been the traditional source of funding, but the financial crisis has led banks to be even more reluctant, which is creating an active debate about the importance of broadening the range of funding options available beyond banks. Such …

Counting care: Everything you need to know about the new Household Care Survey toolkit

Amber Parkes Real Geek, Women's Economic Empowerment

‘What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get seen’. I’ve heard this phrase so many times but never has it felt truer than when it comes to unpaid care and domestic work. Unpaid care and domestic work is the vital work that keeps our societies and economies ticking, keeping us healthy, nourished and nurtured and keeping our homes clean and tidy. But …

‘What will the others think?’ Reflections on social norms and unpaid care work in Tunisia

Soufia Galand Gender, Women's Economic Empowerment

“Shhhh, the Others are listening! We can’t do that, the Others will see us!” I come from a migrant family, and we are what we could call a ‘modern’ one. However, this has never prevented my mom from being obsessed by the ‘Others’, how we should be like ‘Them’ and do as ‘They’ would expect us to do. I remember asking her, how …

10 brilliant questions you asked about Oxfam’s inequality report

Oxfam International Gender, Inequality

Oxfam’s new inequality report, which reveals that the world’s billionaires —just 2,153 people— have more wealth than 4.6 billion people, is making headlines across the globe. Since we launched our report, we have received lots of interesting questions. Here’s our response to ten of the most frequently asked questions. 1. What does women’s unpaid care work have to do with billionaires? …