By Joan Nwagwu
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called for better wages, social protection and decent working conditions for care workers across Africa.
This is contained in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Joel Odigie, to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Care and Support on Thursday.
The day is marked under the theme, “Building sustainable care and support systems through decent work.”
Odigie said paid and unpaid care work remained undervalued, underpaid and largely overlooked in public policies and national budgets, despite its significant contributions to African economies and societies.
“Care sustains every economy and society. Yet, paid and unpaid care work remains undervalued, underpaid and largely overlooked in public policies and national budgets, despite its vital social and economic contributions.
“Poor working conditions for care workers mean poor-quality care for everyone.
“We must huarantee decent work for all care workers: living wages, equal pay for work of equal value, formal contracts, safe workplaces, social protection, and the rights to organise and bargain collectively,” he said.
He said women and girls bore a disproportionate share of unpaid care responsibilities, limiting their access to education, vocational training, decent employment and trade union participation.
According to him, women in Africa spent more than three times as many hours as men on unpaid care work, while care responsibilities prevented many women from entering employment.
Odigie said domestic workers, community health workers, nurses, early childhood educators and home-based carers often faced informal employment, poverty wages, inadequate social protection, violence and harassment.
He urged African governments, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to invest in accessible public care systems, including childcare, healthcare, long-term care and infrastructure to reduce unpaid work.
The general secretary also called for the implementation of the International Labour Organisation’s 5R framework and its 2024 resolution on decent work and the care economy through national policies.
He urged governments to ratify and implement relevant ILO conventions on domestic work, family responsibilities, maternity protection, violence and harassment, and social security.
Odigie further called for social protection for informal economy workers and unpaid carers, as well as paid parental leave for both women and men.
He reaffirmed ITUC-Africa’s commitment to organising care workers, particularly young women and informal economy workers, to strengthen their collective voice and advance social justice across the continent.
NAN
