Insights from Research: Empowerment, Challenges, and Pathways Forward
Overview
Unpaid care work (UPC) is an essential part of economic activity and societal well-being globally. According to the International Labor Organization, UPC includes both direct and indirect care that is given without payment and is mostly performed by women and girls inside homes. This involves responsibilities like providing care for young people, the elderly, or the sick, as well as chores around the house like cooking and cleaning. It excludes the manufacture of items or their processing for domestic use, such as farming or manufacturing garments at home. Nursing and assistance with dressing are examples of direct care labor, whereas cleaning, cooking, and grocery shopping are examples of indirect care work that supports direct care activities. However, it is often undervalued and underappreciated, leading to its exclusion from policy agendas and reforms. In Palestine, there is a lack of research on UPC, particularly in the tech industry, which is a fast-developing economic sector in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates globally. This brief addresses the significance of UPC, particularly in relation to Palestine’s tech industry and its impact on women’s development in the tech sector, and fills this research gap with tangible outcomes and recommendations.
