Policy Report: Subsidizing global health: Women’s unpaid work in health systems
This report examines the unpaid and underpaid work done by women in health systems, asks why women take up this work, and considers the impact of that work for women, health systems, and societies. It draws on interviews with women health workers in Ethiopia, India, Malawi, Mexico, and Zambia and aims to include their diverse perspectives.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put health center stage globally and exposed the deep inequalities between and within countries, highlighting gender inequality between women and men. Women have made an exceptional contribution to health systems, economies, and societies from community to global levels since the start of COVID-19. They have shouldered the burden of health systems delivery for more than two years of the pandemic since women are 70% of the global health workforce and 90% of health workers in patient-facing roles.
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KEY FINDINGS
- Calculating the number of women working unpaid and underpaid in health is complex
- There are diverse forms of remuneration and incentives but none give economic security
- Unpaid work tasks differ, as does time commitment
- Women take unpaid health roles for a mix of reasons
- Unpaid work may have some benefits for women but generally it undermines their economic rights and potential
- Health systems are weakened by depending on women’s unpaid work
- The pandemic increased the burden on unpaid work for women but raised awareness of it
Interviews with Ann Keeling, Senior Fellow at Women in Global Health and lead author of the report
Advocacy Tiles
PRESS RELEASE
Resources
Ann Keeling: Female healthcare workers need to be seen as “assets and not volunteers”
Women should not be propping up healthcare systems without proper pay
Women’s unpaid work in health systems: the myth of the self-sacrificing gene
Six million women from the world’s poorest communities subsidizing delivery of essential health care, researchers say
India’s one million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) win the Global Health Leaders award at the 75th World Health Assembly: Time to move beyond rhetoric to action?
Community Health Workers want lasting social contracts, not endless recognition
