(Re)thinking Care in a (Re)thinking Care in a Development ContextDevelopment Context

Shahra Razavi Shahra Razavi Research Coordinator, UNRISDResearch Coordinator, UNRISD

18 June 200918 June 2009

Feminist literature on Welfare Feminist literature on Welfare Regimes and Care RegimesRegimes and Care Regimes

Response to mainstream “welfare regime” Response to mainstream “welfare regime” literature: conceptual & theoretical literature: conceptual & theoretical

Focus: post-industrial, democratic welfare Focus: post-industrial, democratic welfare states states

““Global care chains” –unequalizing Global care chains” –unequalizing tendencies of neolib glob. but tendencies of neolib glob. but empirical emphasis on the “North”empirical emphasis on the “North”

Where is the rest of the world? Where is the rest of the world?

Feminist research with a focus on Feminist research with a focus on the “South” (including UNRISD’s)the “South” (including UNRISD’s)

(1) Care as a lense to interrogate policies (1) Care as a lense to interrogate policies and socio-economic structuresand socio-economic structures

(2) Care economy and what ever happened (2) Care economy and what ever happened to domestic workto domestic work

(3) The care diamond—(3) The care diamond—multiplemultiple institutions institutions to highlight the role of public policies and to highlight the role of public policies and collective provision collective provision

(4) Care diamond and the “welfare mix”(4) Care diamond and the “welfare mix”

(1) Care as a lens (1) Care as a lens

The welfare state was/is The welfare state was/is alsoalso about CARE (health, about CARE (health, education, nursing homes, pensions) education, nursing homes, pensions)

The responses to the “social question” also about The responses to the “social question” also about problems of dependency and care (of children, when problems of dependency and care (of children, when old and sick, etc.) old and sick, etc.)

The “family wage” also about allowing the The “family wage” also about allowing the “breadwinner” to earn enough to allow the family to “breadwinner” to earn enough to allow the family to care of itself care of itself

Care as a lens/perspective (versus a sector) to Care as a lens/perspective (versus a sector) to interrogate all policies (wage policies, interrogate all policies (wage policies, macroeconomic policies) for their care implicationsmacroeconomic policies) for their care implications

√ √ crucial for developing countries: PRECONDITIONS crucial for developing countries: PRECONDITIONS of care-giving cannot be taken for grantedof care-giving cannot be taken for granted

What are these PRECONDITIONS of care-What are these PRECONDITIONS of care-giving?giving?

√ √ TIMETIME

√ √ COMMODIFICATION OF LABOUR (esp. female COMMODIFICATION OF LABOUR (esp. female labour) with decent wages labour) with decent wages

√ √ Appropriate INFRASTRUCTUREAppropriate INFRASTRUCTURE

Time poverty AND income poverty Time poverty AND income poverty

√ √ Time-poor and income-rich Time-poor and income-rich √ √ Time-poor and income-poor (e.g. India, Tanzania) Time-poor and income-poor (e.g. India, Tanzania) √ √ Time-rich and income-poor (e.g. Southern Africa)Time-rich and income-poor (e.g. Southern Africa)

Care lens to look at the process of capital Care lens to look at the process of capital accumulation rather than assuming accumulation rather than assuming a prioria priori

that development/growth will lead to an that development/growth will lead to an improvement in care-giving and human improvement in care-giving and human

welfare.welfare.

What are the Policies/Development Paths that Generate What are the Policies/Development Paths that Generate Structural Unemployment or Low-Wage/Return Structural Unemployment or Low-Wage/Return employment?employment?

√ √ Why does capital no longer want the labour it pulled from Why does capital no longer want the labour it pulled from rural households over generations? √ Why does labour earn rural households over generations? √ Why does labour earn such low wages despite v. long hours of work (« the working such low wages despite v. long hours of work (« the working poor »)?poor »)?

What happens to care in the process of capital What happens to care in the process of capital accumulation (a necessity for developing countries)?accumulation (a necessity for developing countries)?

√ √ e.g. Export-Oriented path: Are there investments (in e.g. Export-Oriented path: Are there investments (in infrastructure, services) to reduce the time squeeze on care? infrastructure, services) to reduce the time squeeze on care?

What happens to care in contexts of crisis which What happens to care in contexts of crisis which liberalized economies are prone to liberalized economies are prone to (as more of social (as more of social reproduction shifts back into the household and women are reproduction shifts back into the household and women are pushed into the paid work force)pushed into the paid work force)??

(2) (2) Care economy and what ever Care economy and what ever happened to domestic workhappened to domestic work

Care work: interpersonal dimension, Care work: interpersonal dimension, building human capabilitiesbuilding human capabilities

Income and class bias Income and class bias

UNRISD definition of unpaid care UNRISD definition of unpaid care work: person care AND domestic work: person care AND domestic workwork

Care Dependency Ratio by Country

0.600.61

0.220.16

0.36

0.39

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

South Korea

Buenos Aires

South Africa

Nicaragua

IndiaTanzania

Mean time spent per day on activities by sub-category of UCW, country and sex for full sample population

68

208

24

306

25

169

54

252

86

225

31

215

48

12 5

47

1348

6655

1312

85

33

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

M F M F M F M F M F M F

Argentina India Korea Nicaragua South Africa Tanzania

Housework Person Care

(3) The Care Diamond (sector (3) The Care Diamond (sector view)view)

Multiple sites of care provision:Multiple sites of care provision:Why emphasis on multiplicity? Why emphasis on multiplicity?

√ √ highlight role of public highlight role of public policies in developing policies in developing countries (not only families) countries (not only families)

√ √ avoid an agenda that is avoid an agenda that is exclusively focused on exclusively focused on microlevel interventions microlevel interventions (better fatherhood, new (better fatherhood, new masculinities); masculinities);

√ √ STRUCTURES matter (labour STRUCTURES matter (labour markets) and so do PUBLIC markets) and so do PUBLIC POLICIES/PROGRAMMES (to POLICIES/PROGRAMMES (to collectivise care and collectivise care and redistribute its costs across redistribute its costs across social class towards low-social class towards low-income large families). income large families).

(4) Care diamond and the “welfare (4) Care diamond and the “welfare mix”mix”

To orchestrate public, private (for-profit) and To orchestrate public, private (for-profit) and non-profit provision requires states with non-profit provision requires states with strong fiscal and regulatory capacity (to strong fiscal and regulatory capacity (to subsidise and regular subsidise and regular qualityquality of service and of service and working conditionsworking conditions of service workers) of service workers)

In contexts of high income inequality In contexts of high income inequality pluralism can lead to exclusion (inability to pluralism can lead to exclusion (inability to pay fees/bribes or give unpaid time), pay fees/bribes or give unpaid time), fragmentation and varied fragmentation and varied quality quality of provision of provision

There is always the risk of labour exploitationThere is always the risk of labour exploitation

Project Countries and research reports Project Countries and research reports available on UNRISD website (*).available on UNRISD website (*).

India, Nicaragua, Tanzania, South Korea, Argentina, South India, Nicaragua, Tanzania, South Korea, Argentina, South AfricaAfrica

Japan and Switzerland; Uruguay (desk study)Japan and Switzerland; Uruguay (desk study)

*RR1—political, economic, social and *RR1—political, economic, social and demographic background demographic background

*RR2—time use analysis*RR2—time use analysis*RR3—care diamond *RR3—care diamond *RR4—care workers and their terms and *RR4—care workers and their terms and

conditions of work (being revisedconditions of work (being revised RR5—synthesis of findings and conceptual RR5—synthesis of findings and conceptual

elaboration (due in June 2009)elaboration (due in June 2009)

www.unrisd.org/research/gd/carewww.unrisd.org/research/gd/care

Comparative Country Data: Comparative Country Data: OverviewOverview

GNI per capita, Atlas Method (Current US-$)

$19,690

$6,050 $5,760

$980 $950 $400$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

South Korea

Argentina

South Africa

Nicaragua

India Tanzania

Poverty: Population living below 1 US-$ and 2 US-$ per day, by country (%)

6.610.7

45.1

34.3

57.8

17.4

34.1

79.9 80.4

89.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

South Korea

Argentina

South Africa

Nicaragua

India Tanzania

Population living below US-$ 1 a day (%) Population living below US-$ 2 a day (%)

No data

Inequality: Gini Coefficient

31.6

48.3

56.552.3

36.8 36.7

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

South Korea

Argentina

South Africa

Nicaragua

India Tanzania

Infant Mortality Rates (per 1,000 live births) and Life Expectancy at Birth (in years)

515

55

30

56

7678 75

51

7264

52

0102030405060708090

South Korea

Argentina

South Africa

Nicaragua

India Tanzania

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births) Life expectancy at birth, total (years)

Fertility Rates by Country (births per woman)

1.1

2.3 2.7 2.8 2.5

5.3

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Male and female labour force participation rates

74.3%

49.7%

77.0%

52.0%

59.4%

43.4%

83.0%

52.0%

86.0%

43.4%

90.5% 88.8%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

M F M F M F M F M F M F

South Korea(2006)¹

Argentina(2006)²

South Africa(2006)¹

Nicaragua(2001)²

India (2006)¹ Tanzania(2006)³

Participation rates of men and women in unpaid care work (%)

71

93

52

97

47

86

51

90

73

9599

86

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women

Argentina India South Korea Nicaragua South Africa Tanzania

Mean time spent per day on paid work / unpaid care work by SNA category, country and sex for full sample population (minutes)

333

180

432

180

362

210

384

156234

143

357305

89

256

36

35443

227

90

34289 246

76 174

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women

Argentina(Buenos Aires)

India South Korea Nicaragua South Africa Tanzania

Paid Work Unpaid Care Work

Health Expenditure per capita (PPP US-$)

1,1351,274

748

23191 29

0

200

400

600800

1,000

1,200

1,400

South Korea

Argentina

South Africa

Nicaragua

India Tanzania

GNI per capita and Pre-Primary Enrolment Rates by Country

$19,690

$6,050 $5,760$950 $980 $400

64

30

37

61

4141

61

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Korea¹(3-5 years)

Argentina²(3-5 years)

South Africa³(3-5 years)

India²(3-5 years)

Nicaragua²(3-6 years)

Tanzania² (5-6 years)

%

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

GNI per capita, Atlas Method (current US-$), 2006 Gross enrolment ratio in pre-primary education (%)