Cooperatives and other entities of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) can play a decisive role in transforming care work in Latin America and the Caribbean, closing gender gaps, and promoting decent working conditions, according to a new technical note released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 29 October, to mark the International Day of Care and Support.
The publication - "Caring from the Territory: Experiences of Cooperatives and SSE Entities in Latin America" (soon to be published in English)- draws on experiences and lessons learned from Bolivia, Colombia and Honduras through the implementation of the ILO's Care.Coop methodology. This approach aims to strengthen community-based care services through participatory processes, a gender perspective, and in line with the principles and values of the social and solidarity economy.
Women bear the brunt of the care crisis
In Latin America and the Caribbean, women spend almost three times more time than men on unpaid domestic and care work. This inequality has direct effects on women's health, labour market participation and income, limiting their access to formal employment and social protection.
The growing demand for care - driven by population ageing, limited public services, and territorial inequalities - has led many communities to create their own local solutions. However, most of the people providing this work - predominantly women in vulnerable situations - do so in precarious conditions, without formal contracts or social security.
Cooperatives: an innovative response
The study shows how cooperatives and other SSE entities can provide sustainable and transformative solutions for the care sector.
Unlike other models, cooperatives:
- Promote democratic decision-making and community participation;
- Offer high-quality and more affordable services by prioritizing well-being over profit;
- Foster the creation of decent jobs, fair wages, and access to social protection;
- Strengthen women's economic autonomy and shared responsibility in caregiving
Cooperatives do not only provide care services - they also protect rights. They are a concrete tool to reduce structural inequalities and advance social justice
Paz Arancibia, ILO Senior Gender and Non-Discrimination Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Care.Coop model: from local action to public policy
The ILO has developed the Care.Coop methodology, which works across three levels:
- Micro: strengthening cooperatives and community-based organizations;
- Meso: building institutional alliances to foster supportive care ecosystems;
- Macro: integrating cooperatives and SSE into national care policies and systems..
To support this process, the ILO has developed two methodological tools:
- Think.CareCoop, which helps community organizations assess their capacities, services and needs to strengthen their work;
- Start.CareCoop, which guides communities in planning and formalizing care cooperatives through clear, sustainable steps.
These tools are implemented with ILO technical support and aim to ensure participatory, gender-responsive solutions that promote decent work and reflect the values of the SSE.
Experiences in Bolivia, Colombia and Honduras
The technical note highlights pilot experiences in three countries, illustrating how the SSE can contribute to addressing the care crisis from the ground up:
- Bolivia: In El Alto, a digital interactive map of care services was created to improve access for families, while community initiatives with an indigenous approach were strengthened.
- Colombia: In Chocó and Cesar, community organizations ASOREDIPAR and JOSA were strengthened, leading to the creation of the first midwifery house in Quibdó and the Arhuaco Ancestral Care House, through technical assistance, training and partnerships.
- Honduras: In Danlí and Comayagua, a municipal care model was developed and the first cooperative of domestic and care workers was established, with training and labour certification support.
Care work is work
The ILO underscores that ensuring decent work in the care economy is essential for advancing gender equality and building more sustainable and inclusive societies.
The International Labour Conference of 2024 recognized, for the first time, paid and unpaid care work as a core component of the care economy, calling on governments to adopt integrated care policies based on shared responsibility among the State, the market, families and communities.
"Integrating cooperatives and social and solidarity economy entities into national care systems is not only an innovative option - it is a necessity to ensure quality services and decent jobs," added Paz Arancibia.
