Investing in care is both social infrastructure and economic policy. Accessible, high-quality care services enable more people, especially women, to participate fully in employment and support greater equality in sharing care responsibilities.
Achieving this requires stronger public investment, better pay and working conditions for care workers, and targeted support for families facing barriers to care. Making care central to EU equality and competitiveness policies can support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable economy.
This brief draws upon the 2024 wave of the EIGE's Survey on Gender Gaps in Unpaid Care, Individual and Social Activities (CARE Survey), the EU’s dedicated source of individual-level data on how women and men share care responsibilities and how these responsibilities shape their daily and working lives.
