International Day of Care and Support, Date, History, Significance, Objectives

Every year on October 29th, the International Day of Care and Support is observed to honor the accomplishments of caregivers and promote laws and programs that promote and improve care in all of its manifestations. The International Day of Care and Support 2024 celebrates the essential role of compassion, solidarity, and care in building stronger, more inclusive communities. 

Key Objectives 

Recognition and Value of Care Work

• Recognizes the essential role of both paid and unpaid care work.
• Stresses the importance of acknowledging care workers as essential contributors to society and the economy.

Reducing and Redistributing Unpaid Care Work

• Highlights the need to support unpaid caregivers through investments in public services like childcare and eldercare.
• Aims to balance care responsibilities between genders and improve economic opportunities for women.

Fighting Gender Stereotypes and Occupational Segregation

• Addresses gender biases that often confine women and minorities to lower-paid care roles.
• Encourages combating stereotypes tied to gender, race, ethnicity, age, and migratory status within the care workforce.

Facilitating Formalization and Decent Work

• Supports the transition from informal to formal employment in the care sector, which would provide access to benefits, social protections, and job security.
• Emphasizes the need to create more quality jobs in the care economy and raise wages for paid caregivers and domestic workers.

Promoting Women’s Right to Work and Equal Pay

• Ensures women’s right to work, especially for those with caregiving responsibilities.
• Upholds equal pay for work of equal value, an essential step in addressing gender pay gaps in care professions.

Theme of International Day of Care and Support 2024

• The theme for the International Day of Care and Support in 2024 is “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.”

Significance 

• The significance of care and support in all of its manifestations—including paid care labor, unpaid care work, and official care services—is brought to light.
• It recognizes the essential contributions of caregivers, both unpaid and paid.
• It promotes laws and programs that uphold and improve care and support networks.
• It acknowledges that care is a key component of a sustainable recovery and advocates for an equitable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Care and support are essential for human well-being, sustainable development, and gender equality. Although caregivers are essential to society, they are sometimes overlooked and underpaid. Today is a chance to make that change.

History 

• Following a resolution co-sponsored by over 100 nations, the UN General Assembly declared 2023 to be the International Day of Care and Support. 
• The resolution acknowledged the critical role that care and support—in all of its manifestations—play in advancing gender equality, sustainable development, and human well-being. 
• The day’s origins may be found in the early 2000s when a number of civil society organizations and trade unions started advocating for a worldwide day to honor and celebrate caregivers’ contributions. 
• In 2016, the Care Agenda, which was introduced by the ILO, asked for greater funding for support and care services as well as the acknowledgment and assessment of unpaid caregiving.
• The importance of care and support was further underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic since caregivers were essential to the pandemic response. 
• On October 29, 2023, the UN General Assembly declared the first International Day of Care and Support in honor of their contributions. 

29th October 2024 Special Day 

• The International Day of Care and Support is celebrated globally on October 29, 2024, to honor the vital roles that caregivers play. 
• This day underscores the importance of policies and initiatives aimed at bolstering and improving care across diverse contexts. 
• It serves as a moving reminder of how important caregivers are to helping people and creating a culture that appreciates and encourages compassionate care in all of its forms