Communiqués

Mexico City hosted the “Global Grassroots Women Community Caregivers’ Summit”, that brought together more than 70 caregivers from 24 countries. The Summit was convened by the Global Alliance for Care, the Huairou Commission (HC), the National Institute of Women of the Government of Mexico (Inmujeres), and UN Women, with the collaboration of caregiver groups from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin and North America, and the Caribbean.

Grassroots caregivers’ organizations, as well as domestic workers, gathered at the “Global Grassroots Women Community Caregivers Summit”, through a Call to Action, urged governments, international policy makers, philanthropies, civil society and private sector to implement actions that respect, resource and compensate local caregiver constituencies, domestic workers and organizations to foster a caring society and just economies.

In that sense, Violet Shivutse, the Chair of Huairou Commission, stated that “Grassroots women have always been at the frontline in caregiving, have experienced different disasters and pandemics and are leading in mobilizing communities to sustain their livelihoods despite the burden imposed on themselves. Existing structures and systems put in place by grassroots organizations enabled them organize care beyond the immediate care-giving of their own family but include providing support to those in the community in food distribution, medicine pickup from health facilities and delivery to the sick and mobilize funds to provide essential goods to women and their families in local communities. Grassroots women view the issue of care as a development issue and have continued to fill critical gaps in society despite the lack of compensation and recognition. Our efforts over the next three days, together with diverse caregiving constituencies, partners and allies, will be to enumerate caregivers' contributions, and priorities in the Global Grassroots Women Community Caregivers Call to Action in order to promote and implement the caregivers’ vision for a just care economy.”

The Grassroots Community Caregivers’ Summit was convened by the Global Alliance for Care, (GAC) the Huairou Commission (HC), the National Institute of Women of the Government of Mexico (Inmujeres), and UN Women. It also had the collaboration of caregiver groups operating in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin and North America, and the Caribbean. The meeting took place in Mexico City from 28 to 30 June 2023, and grassroots caregiver constituencies from 24 countries, representing more than 70 active caregiver organizations and domestic workers. The Summit aimed at facilitating a space for dialogue between caregivers and domestic workers, to recognize their contributions to caring societies and vibrant local care economies. It was also intended to reflect on critical care issues and challenges, priorities and opportunities around care work, and establish a "friends of grassroots women community caregivers" with decision makers.

In this regard, Valentina Zendejas, Technical Secretariat of the GAC, stated that the Summit was “an initial moment to vindicate the fundamental contributions of community caregivers and domestic workers to society". She mentioned that this Summit is the first of a series of conversations that the Alliance will push forward to build a shared agenda among the different sectors of care workers and organizations of people receiving care and support. "One of the Alliance's objectives is to promote a broad, diverse and global movement that demands to move towards caring societies, where the life and well-being of people is the priority, and the universal right to care and be cared for is guaranteed". The event was also an opportunity to demonstrate how care work contributes to a just care economy, as well as to advancing gender equality and sustainable development. Discussions also revolved around how the COVID-19 pandemic increased and highlighted care work, mostly performed by women. Likewise, the protection of the planet and the role of women caregivers in mitigating environmental and health risks were part of the exchanges.

In her opening remarks, the president of Inmujeres, Nadine Gasman, pointed out that “for the Government of Mexico and especially for the National Institute of Women, it is an honor to host this meeting and to be able to receive community caregivers from all over the world. We designed this event by and for you, because we want to get to know and recognize your activities and contributions a work for the sustainable of life, and the economy through caregiving, as well as to take note of what you have to tell us”. She emphasized that although community care is often undervalued and made invisible, it represents, among other things, a protection mechanism against gender-based violence, in addition to the fact that community caregivers generate important support networks in their communities, and collaborate in a close, supportive and empathetic manner. She also stated that "we must focus our efforts on community spaces and specifically with the caregivers who, from their daily activities contributions to the wellbeing of people and to sustainable life. We are here today because someone took care of us and that is something we must be aware of. Hence the importance of meeting and talking with you."

The Global Grassroots Women Community Caregivers’ Summit marks the inaugural event of a series that will be organized by the Global Alliance for Care to catalyze social dialogues representing the diverse economic justice agendas of unpaid and paid, informal and formal care workers organizations and unions. These sessions are tended to generate a space to share realities and challenges faced by these constituencies, as well as support the development of a common agenda that promotes achieving decent work for all care workers and amplify their voices and agency in decision-making processes that shape the care economy, including in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During her intervention, Jemimah Njuki, chief or Economic Empowerment section at UN Women, emphasized that “The Global Summit has provided a unique opportunity to amplify the voices of grassroots women caregivers, celebrate their contributions, and catalyze transformative change. The Grassroots Women Caregivers Call to Action and Action Plan, outlining our global political agenda, priorities, and expectations, which will lead the way forward to position the care economy as a building block of a sustainable and socially just economy. Let us remember that the roots of change are planted in the soil of the community. With their hands and hearts grassroots women caregivers water these roots every day. Therefore, by supporting and investing in grassroots women caregivers' organizations, we invest in the well-being of our communities, gender equality, economic prosperity and sustainable development.”

Through a Call to Action adopted at the end of the Summit, the leaders of caregiver constituencies called upon multi stakeholder present during the meeting to recognize women’s organizations of community caregivers, in all their diversity, as essential workers, and to accelerate initiatives and financial investments in gender justice, local care economies, and the grassroots community women and household workers’ caregiver organizations. Among their petitions, they claimed that governments, the philanthropic sector, international organizations and other decision makers promote and guarantee the inclusion of grassroots women caregiver organizations, of domestic workers and leaders in economic decision-making processes related to social and economic policy and budgeting. They also called for the development of innovative policy and program frameworks that create revenue streams to support caregivers and underpaid work, as well as to foster women’s’ campaigns to address these issues. They also requested to ensure decent work and social protection to every care worker.

The Summit has been financially supported by the Global Alliance for Care, Inmujeres, UN Women, the African Women's Development Fund, the Ford Foundation, Oxfam Canada and the Women's Fund Asia, and organizations from the UN system.