Unsupported and unshared care work perpetuates women’s poverty, political marginalization and social subordination.

By Kate Donald.

The distribution of care is not natural or inevitable, but rather socially constructed and in our power to change.

“Women’s rights are human rights”, declared Hillary Clinton in Beijing nearly 20 years ago. This simple yet revolutionary statement has evolved into a mantra of the international human rights movement.

However, one of the major obstacles to women enjoying their rights equally with men has been rarely recognised or even spoken of by human rights advocates.