International Day of Care And Support: Recognizing The Heartbeat of Inclusion

As the world commemorates the International Day of Care and Support on 29 October, we are reminded of one simple yet powerful truth, care is the foundation of humanity. It sustains families, fuels economies, and upholds the dignity of millions. The United Nations General Assembly’s declaration of this day acknowledges that care work, both paid and unpaid, is not just a personal responsibility but a shared social and economic priority. This year’s observance, guided by the International Labour Organization’s Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Care Economy, amplifies the call for inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based care systems.

Across the world, the care and support sector remains deeply undervalued and underfunded, despite its essential contribution to wellbeing and development. Women, who make up nearly 76% of unpaid caregivers globally, continue to shoulder the largest burden of unpaid care and domestic work, often at the expense of their education, employment, and economic independence. In Kenya and across Africa, caregiving for persons with disabilities, older persons, and those with chronic illnesses is often unpaid, unseen, and unsupported, leaving caregivers vulnerable to burnout, poverty, and emotional exhaustion.

For persons with disabilities, caregivers are more than supporters; they are enablers of participation, dignity, and independence. They ensure access to education, employment, healthcare, and community life, bridging systemic gaps where accessibility and inclusion are still lacking. However, many caregivers, especially family caregivers of persons with disabilities, remain unsupported, untrained, and unrecognized by policy frameworks. Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities underscores the right to adequate living standards and social protection, a right that must extend to those providing essential daily care.

Care work is skilled, demanding, and emotionally intense, yet it remains one of the least valued sectors. Paid caregivers, including personal assistants, disability support workers, and domestic workers, frequently face poor working conditions, low wages, and limited legal protection. The ILO’s 2024 resolution calls for decent work in the care economy, emphasizing fair pay, occupational safety, professional training, and representation for care workers. It also urges governments to challenge gender and disability stereotypes surrounding care, fostering a shift toward equity and dignity in all forms of caregiving.

To build a disability-inclusive care economy, governments and organizations must move from rhetoric to results. This means investing in community-based care models, training caregivers in disability rights and inclusive practices, and ensuring access to psychosocial support and respite services. It also means implementing policies that redistribute unpaid care work through accessible infrastructure, such as inclusive childcare centers, community support hubs, and technology-driven assistive services. Recognizing care as both an economic driver and a human right is essential to social transformation.

As we mark the International Day of Care and Support, let it serve as a global wake-up call: It is time to recognize, reduce, value, and redistribute care work in ways that honor both caregivers and those they support. Policymakers, employers, and communities must come together to create a care economy that is inclusive, fair, and sustainable. By valuing caregivers, both paid and unpaid, we reaffirm our shared humanity and commitment to equality. Because inclusion is not complete until we care for those who care for others.

Article by: Emmanuel Brian Mbuthia – Disability Rights Advocate & Mental Health Champion