Today, on May 1st, International Workers' Day, feminists, indigenous women, human rights defenders, community and grassroots leaders from diverse regions unite to call for global recognition of care work as central to the sustainability of life and a fundamental human right. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the centrality of care for life, for the preservation of the planet, and for the functioning of economies and societies. However, the pandemic has deepened the gaps in the distribution of care and placed an even greater burden on women and girls, leading to a crisis in the global care economy. We urge governments to advance transformative care policies that address the structural injustices underlying the undervaluation of paid and unpaid care work, and to develop comprehensive care systems that redistribute time, unequal power relations, and resources. A comprehensive care system is a human right.
