The International Labour Organization (ILO) and its International Training Centre (ITCILO) have launched South4Care, a global platform aimed at strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) to advance decent work in the care economy. The initiative brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and international partners to position care as a driver of decent work, gender equality, and social justice.
The high-level launch event in Doha gathered government officials, representatives of employers and workers, UN agencies, and development partners from around the world. Participants emphasized the urgent need to address global care challenges while sharing innovative policies and practices from the Global South. Ruba Jaradat, ILO Regional Director for Arab States, highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing and mutual learning through the South4Care Learning Hub to enhance decent work in the care economy.
South4Care is aligned with the ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy, adopted at the International Labour Conference in 2024, and consists of two main components. The South4Care Platform is an online space hosted on the ILO Global Care Policy Portal, offering illustrative practices, policy tools, and resources for peer learning. The South4Care Learning Hub is a biennial capacity-building program delivered with ITCILO that rotates across ILO regions, equipping policymakers and social partners to design, finance, and implement effective care policies.
Francesco d’Ovidio, Director of the ILO office for the State of Qatar, underscored that a regulated and formalized care economy drives job creation, reduces the gender gap by alleviating unpaid care work, and enables women to access decent employment. The launch also marked the start of the in-person segment of the South4Care Learning Hub, with 88 participants from 30 countries engaging in regional dialogues on policy priorities and future collaboration.
The initiative further includes partner roundtables and tripartite panels to reinforce knowledge exchange and collective action, positioning South4Care as a key catalyst for translating care-related commitments into tangible action while contributing to the Global Coalition for Social Justice.
Related Posts
