Training course on Care Economy and Social Protection for Caregivers

Training Course on Care Economy and Social Protection for Caregivers 

Introduction

The Care Economy and Social Protection for Caregivers is a critical and rapidly growing area of focus, recognizing the immense, yet often invisible and undervalued, contributions of caregivers to society. Care work, predominantly performed by women, is fundamental for human well-being, economic productivity, and social reproduction, but caregivers frequently face significant challenges including low pay (or no pay for unpaid care), precarious working conditions, lack of social security, and limited access to essential services. Designing and implementing comprehensive social protection systems that recognize, reduce, redistribute, and represent care work is essential for ensuring the dignity, economic security, and well-being of caregivers, while also strengthening the care economy as a whole. This specialized field moves beyond traditional social welfare to integrate a gender-transformative lens, advocating for policies that support both paid and unpaid caregivers and promote more equitable care responsibilities.

Training Course on Care Economy and Social Protection for Caregivers is meticulously designed to equip with the advanced theoretical insights and intensive practical tools necessary to excel in Care Economy and Social Protection for Caregivers. We will delve into the foundational concepts of the care economy and its gendered dimensions, master the intricacies of designing social protection interventions that support caregivers, and explore cutting-edge approaches to valuing care work, extending social security coverage, and promoting shared care responsibilities. A significant focus will be placed on understanding legal and policy frameworks, fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue, ensuring gender-responsive and inclusive programming, and navigating the practical challenges of implementing caregiver-focused initiatives in diverse contexts. By integrating interdisciplinary perspectives, analyzing real-world complex case studies, and engaging in hands-on design and policy simulation exercises, attendees will develop the strategic acumen to confidently champion and implement social protection for caregivers, fostering unparalleled recognition, equity, and dignity.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the fundamental concepts of the care economy (paid and unpaid) and its gendered dimensions.
2. Comprehend the vulnerabilities and social protection gaps faced by caregivers, particularly women.
3. Master the strategic importance and potential of social protection in supporting caregivers and strengthening the care economy.
4. Develop expertise in designing social protection instruments tailored for both paid and unpaid caregivers.
5. Formulate strategies for valuing, recognizing, and reducing the burden of unpaid care work.
6. Understand the critical role of extending social security coverage to paid domestic workers and informal caregivers.
7. Implement robust approaches to linking social protection with quality care services and support for dependents.
8. Explore key policy, legal, and institutional frameworks that promote caregivers' rights and social protection.
9. Apply methodologies for ensuring gender-responsive and inclusive approaches in caregiver social protection design.
10. Develop strategies for fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnerships for a stronger care economy.
11. Analyze the challenges and opportunities of implementing social protection for caregivers in diverse contexts.
12. Design a preliminary social protection strategy for caregivers in a specific country.
13. Examine global best practices and lessons learned from successful initiatives in social protection for caregivers.

Target Audience

This course is essential for professionals working on social protection, gender equality, and labor issues:

1. Social Protection Policymakers & Program Managers: Designing and implementing social security systems.
2. Gender Equality Advocates & Specialists: Focusing on women's economic empowerment and care economy.
3. Labor Market Specialists: Addressing decent work for care workers and work-life balance.
4. Health and Social Care Professionals: Involved in planning and delivering care services.
5. Government Officials: From ministries of social welfare, labor, gender, and finance.
6. UN Agency Representatives: From ILO, UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF.
7. Civil Society Organizations: Advocating for caregivers' rights and recognition.
8. Researchers & Policy Analysts: Studying the care economy and social protection.

Course Duration: 5 Days

Course Modules

Module 1: Understanding the Care Economy and its Gendered Dimensions

• Define the care economy: paid and unpaid care work, its scope, and economic value.
• Analyze the gendered division of labor in care work and its implications for women's economic empowerment.
• Discuss the interdependencies between care work, labor markets, and social reproduction.
• Explore the challenges faced by caregivers: time poverty, financial insecurity, physical and mental strain.
• Overview of global trends and statistics on care work and caregivers.

Module 2: The Imperative for Social Protection for Caregivers

• Explain why social protection is crucial for recognizing, reducing, redistributing, and representing care work.
• Discuss how social protection can address the vulnerabilities of both paid and unpaid caregivers.
• Analyze its contribution to improving caregivers' well-being, economic security, and access to services.
• Explore the pathways through which social protection strengthens the care economy as a whole.
• Introduce the ILO's framework for a transformative care agenda.

Module 3: Social Protection Instruments Tailored for Caregivers

• Cash Transfers: Designing caregiver allowances, child benefits, or disability benefits that support care provision.
• Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Ensuring income security and parental leave to support early childcare.
• Unemployment Benefits: Adapting schemes to cover caregivers re-entering the labor market.
• Health Protection: Facilitating access to healthcare for caregivers and their dependents.
• Old-Age Pensions: Recognizing care periods in pension calculations (e.g., care credits).

Module 4: Valuing, Recognizing, and Reducing Unpaid Care Work

• Strategies for valuing and recognizing unpaid care work in national accounts and policy debates.
• Discuss policies aimed at reducing the burden of unpaid care (e.g., investment in public services, infrastructure).
• Promoting the redistribution of care responsibilities between women and men, and between families and the state.
• Exploring the role of social protection in enabling women to participate more fully in the formal labor market.
• Case studies of policies supporting unpaid caregivers.

Module 5: Extending Social Security Coverage to Paid Care Workers

• Focus on paid care workers (e.g., domestic workers, long-term care workers), often in informal or precarious employment.
• Challenges in extending social security coverage to these workers (e.g., irregular employment, low wages).
• Strategies for adapting social insurance schemes for paid care workers (e.g., simplified registration, flexible contributions).
• Discuss the importance of formalizing care work and ensuring decent work conditions.
• Case studies of successful initiatives to extend social security to paid care workers.

Module 6: Linking Social Protection with Quality Care Services

• The critical importance of integrating social protection with the provision of quality care services.
• Discuss investments in childcare services, early childhood development, and long-term care for older persons and persons with disabilities.
• Strategies for ensuring affordable and accessible care services for all.
• Exploring the role of social protection in creating a continuum of care support.
• Case studies of integrated social protection and care service delivery.

Module 7: Policy, Legal, and Institutional Frameworks

• Identifying and analyzing national policies and legal frameworks related to care, social protection, and gender equality.
• Discussing the alignment of national policies with international labor standards (e.g., ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Workers).
• Advocating for policy reforms that recognize and support caregivers' rights and social protection.
• Strengthening institutional mandates and capacities for gender-responsive social protection and care policy.
• Exploring the role of national care strategies and their linkages to social protection.

Module 8: Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue and Partnerships

• Fostering effective dialogue and partnerships between government, workers' organizations (especially care worker unions), employers' associations, and civil society.
• Discuss the critical role of women's rights organizations and caregivers' associations in advocacy.
• Building strong alliances for promoting a stronger care economy and social protection for caregivers.
• Strategies for engaging men and boys in shared care responsibilities.
• Lessons learned from multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing the care agenda.

 

Training Methodology

• Interactive Workshops: Facilitated discussions, group exercises, and problem-solving activities.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples to illustrate successful community-based surveillance practices.
• Role-Playing and Simulations: Practice engaging communities in surveillance activities.
• Expert Presentations: Insights from experienced public health professionals and community leaders.
• Group Projects: Collaborative development of community surveillance plans.
• Action Planning: Development of personalized action plans for implementing community-based surveillance.
• Digital Tools and Resources: Utilization of online platforms for collaboration and learning.
• Peer-to-Peer Learning: Sharing experiences and insights on community engagement.
• Post-Training Support: Access to online forums, mentorship, and continued learning resources.

 

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

• Participants must be conversant in English.
• Upon completion of training, participants will receive an Authorized Training Certificate.
• The course duration is flexible and can be modified to fit any number of days.
• Course fee includes facilitation, training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch, and a Certificate upon successful completion.
• One-year post-training support, consultation, and coaching provided after the course.
• Payment should be made at least a week before the training commencement to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice, to enable better preparation.