INTRODUCTION
Evidenced by the lessons from recurring global economic shocks,1 governments and donors have increasingly begun to recognise the importance of the provision of care2 – a vital component of any well-functioning society and economy. The Covid-19 pandemic and other intersecting crises have exposed and exacerbated inequalities – not least the near-universal rise in women’s unpaid care work and the continued undervaluing of paid care work, which is disproportionately done by women.3
However, while the issue of care – and glaring gaps in its provision – is climbing up the global political agenda, the solutions being advocated are severely limited. Crucially, they fail to recognise the key role of care as a public good and do not adequately recognise the limits of privately funded care services in maximising potential benefits for gender equality and women’s rights. These shortcomings detract attention from the importance of increasing the fiscal space available to governments in order to fund quality gender-transformative public services and social protection.
