Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
Women are burdened with caregiving, yet their contributions are frequently undervalued and undercompensated. During the nineteenth century, women worldwide gained the right to vote, access to education, marital freedom, and the right to join the workforce. Yet today, they contribute significantly to unpaid or low-paying care work, tending to domestic responsibilities while participating in the labor force. These roles are motivated by moral or altruistic values rather than financial compensation and provide for needs in childhood, old age, and sickness. With women doing an average of 2.5 times more unpaid domestic work than men, they are at the heart of the care economy and carry an unequal burden because of it.
Recommended Citation
Daniel, Emily
(2025)
"In Defense of the Care Economy,"
Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/araneum/vol3/iss1/4