The United Nations in Nepal marked the International Day of Care and Support on 31 October 2025, emphasizing the essential role of care and support in building inclusive and resilient societies. Hosted by ILO Nepal and UN Women Nepal, the event celebrated the dedication of care and support staff whose work sustains the wellbeing of others while reinforcing commitments to gender equality and decent work within the care economy.
The UN General Assembly declared 29 October as the International Day of Care and Support in 2023, recognizing care as central to achieving gender equality, sustainable development, and social justice. Care enables individuals and communities to live with dignity and thrive. In Nepal, UN Women and ILO have advanced policy advocacy and research to strengthen the care economy, including care costing and needs assessments, as well as community-based care models. These initiatives aim to reduce unpaid care work, increase women’s economic participation, and promote decent work conditions.
During the event, United Nations Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy highlighted that care is deeply rooted in Nepal’s culture but remains unequally shared, urging greater recognition and investment in care as a national priority. The discussion also spotlighted ongoing global commitments to the care economy through international frameworks such as the Commission on the Status of Women, the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization.
Despite global progress, care work in Nepal remains undervalued and mostly informal, with women bearing a disproportionate share of unpaid and underpaid responsibilities. The ILO noted that women in health and care sectors earn about 24 percent less than men, reflecting one of the widest gender pay gaps worldwide. As Nepal faces demographic and social changes, addressing the care crisis through coordinated national efforts has become increasingly urgent.
ILO Nepal Director Numan Özcan emphasized the need to transform care into decent work through recognition, regulation, and redistribution to ensure gender equality and sustainable growth. Similarly, UN Women Nepal Country Representative Patricia Fernández-Pacheco underscored that care is not only a labour or gender issue but a matter of justice and human dignity.
Within the UN system, care and support play a key role in maintaining wellbeing and productivity. The UN Country Team in Nepal reaffirmed its appreciation for support staff whose dedication keeps operations running smoothly, including clinic staff, counsellors, security teams, cleaners, and volunteers. Their work reflects the values of care and solidarity that define healthy workplaces and communities.
The observance concluded with a call to action to recognize care as essential social infrastructure, invest in decent care work, and ensure equitable redistribution of care responsibilities. These efforts align with the Empowered Women Prosperous Nepal Programme, a joint initiative of the Government of Nepal, the European Union, and the United Nations aimed at advancing gender equality through sustained investment in the care economy.
