Professor Greta Friedemann-Sánchez
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Will speak on: Unpaid Caregiving in the Development Process
12:45 - 2:0 pm
Tuesday, September 27
170 HHH - Stassen Room
Humphrey School, West Bank Campus
Taking care of the family and raising children is the most tangible "output" of unpaid labor and care work by preparing present and future workers needed for economic growth and human development. Yet, traditional measures of development render invisible the production of services and goods that occurs within the context of unpaid labor and caregiving in large part because it is not monetized. Demographic and economic changes in developing nations have had an effect on the distribution of housework versus care work, with the former diminishing and the later increasing. As a result, more attention is being paid to caregiving. The two concepts however, continue to be treated in the development literature as if they were interchangeable. While the contributions that unpaid caregivers provide are beneficial to society, they can have negative consequences on the caregiver: they erode physical and mental health, inhibit educational and training opportunities, and contribute to gender inequality. Drawing on the existing evidence from developed and developing nations, the seminar will define caregiving more narrowly, present a framework for understanding its effects on caregivers, highlight gaps in knowledge for developing nations, and
present outstanding research questions and policy implications.
All are welcome! Refreshments will be served
