Strengthening care organizations within the social and solidarity economy for decent work in territorial care in Colombia
0-1 Original language
English
I-1 Name of the initiative
Strengthening care organizations within the social and solidarity economy for decent work in territorial care in Colombia
I-2 Geographical coverage
COL
I-2-A Region/country
Colombia
I-2-R Region
Americas
I-2-T Geographical scope
Country
I-3-A Initiative start date
2022
I-4 Leading entity/organization
Government
I-4-A Specification
__EMPTY__
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Workers' organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Social and solidarity economy (SSE) entities
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Civil society, including NGOs
I-6 Has the ILO been involved in the initiative?
Yes
I-7 Is there collaboration with other agencies of the United Nations System or other partners?
Yes
II-1 Justification of the initiative
In Colombia, 32.2 million people engage in unpaid care work. Of these, 19.5 million are women, representing 90.3 per cent of women over the age of 10, compared to 12.7 million men, which corresponds to 63 per cent of men of this age. Women spend an average of 7 hours and 44 minutes on unpaid care work, while men spend an average of 3 hours and 6 minutes. Within this context, women living in rural areas spend the most time on unpaid care work, averaging 11 hours and 53 minutes per day, followed by Indigenous women, who average 9 hours and 14 minutes per day (DANE, 2020-2021). Given this situation, the Ministry of Equality began a process in 2023 to develop a public care policy (CONPES, National Council for Economic and Social Policy) for the development of the National Care System.
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Human health and social work activities
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Micro enterprises
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Small enterprises
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Medium enterprises
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Cooperatives
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employees
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Own-account workers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Members of producers’ cooperatives
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Workers not classifiable by status
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Domestic workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Community health and care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Childcare workers (for children ages 0-start of primary school)
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Primary and secondary school teachers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal care and/or assistance workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Other health workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Workers in the informal economy
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Mothers
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Persons with other care responsibilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Pregnant women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Indigenous and tribal peoples
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Ethnic and racial minorities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
People with disabilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Older persons
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, through social dialogue
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, inter-institutional coordination mechanisms
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
The initiative aims to strengthen Colombia’s National Care System by drawing on lessons learned from ILO-supported pilots of care cooperative models. Its main specific objectives are to:Recognize and protect community-based and collective care practices, particularly those rooted in rural, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant communities, while improving the quality of life, income, and rights of caregivers and promoting their economic autonomy.Promote cultural transformation to challenge and shift norms that reinforce the unequal distribution of unpaid and paid care work, thereby contributing to greater gender equality.Expand the State’s capacity to deliver care services by investing in and scaling up local care initiatives and organizations—especially those strengthened through the ILO’s Think.CareCoop and Start.CareCoop methodologies and care mapping exercises—thus ensuring more effective territorial implementation of the National Care System.Integrate an ethnic perspective into national care policy, ensuring that the design and delivery of care services are inclusive and responsive to the diverse cultural realities and needs of Colombia’s population.
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Project / pilot intervention
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Reward care workers
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Representation of care workers
II-5 Which is the main policy area of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Care policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Employment policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Skills policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Design and implement integrated and coherent care policies and systems for decent work and gender equality
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Formalization of informal care jobs and enterprises
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the undervaluation of care work by raising public awareness
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the unequal gender distribution of paid and unpaid work, and promoting women’s economic inclusion and autonomy beyond caregiving
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Work-life balance policies and measures, including organization, time and location of work, and other terms and conditions of employment
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Create an enabling and conducive environment for sustainable enterprises and SSE entities
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Invest in and make available high-quality, affordable, adequate and accessible care services, including childcare, health care and long-term care
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Ensure measures consider culturally appropriate services and workforce considerations for indigenous and tribal peoples
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Enhancing the availability of assistance and support services for persons with disabilities to promote individual autonomy and independence
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and SSE entities that deliver quality care services
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Collecting and disseminating data on unpaid and paid care work
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Promoting the voice and representation of, and consulting with, care worker organizations, organizations of employers of care workers and unpaid family carers
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Unpaid carers (workers or persons with care responsibilities, parents, other family members, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Paid care workers (nurses, domestic workers, teachers, childcare workers, personal assistants, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Care recipients (children, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
The Ministry of Equality worked jointly with the National Planning Department (DNP) to develop the CONPES (National Council for Economic and Social Policy) for the National Public Care Policy. Based on the mapping conducted by the ILO, inputs were provided to the entity from care organizations in four departments of Colombia. The CONPES was approved on February 14, 2025. The National Care System will be implemented nationwide with a 10-year action plan and an indicative budget of 25.6 trillion Colombian pesos, approximately equivalent to 6 billion USD.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
The National Care System is the result of a collaborative effort led by the Ministry of Equality and Equity and the National Planning Department (DNP), in coordination with 15 ministries and 34 entities. This was achieved through more than 180 technical meetings and a citizen participation approach that consulted over a thousand people across the country, including caregivers, communities, and experts. Diagnostic studies were conducted in 17 departments, one of which was carried out by the ILO as part of the Care Cooperatives Strengthening Project, covering 4 regions (Cesar, Guajira, Chocó, and Valle del Cauca) and mapping 10 community care organizations
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
The initiative faced several key challenges during its design and implementation. These included the lack of adequate care infrastructure in communities, along with the absence of basic public services such as energy, internet, water, and sewage systems. In addition, the armed conflict in Colombia posed significant risks to care organizations operating in the territories. The mapping process revealed the decent work deficits faced by care workers, such as community mothers, and the need to cover their social protection in retirement. A further challenge was the need to recognize care as work and ensure it is rewarded with decent conditions. While there has been progress in extending social protection to caregivers, a comprehensive strategy to fully acknowledge and value care work remains necessary.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
The coordination of social and solidarity economy organizations with local governments is crucial for the success or failure of initiatives.Engaging the entire community and productive initiatives can be a lever to cover the salaries of care workers, thereby generating a redistribution of care among key stakeholders.Although there have been some advances, there is still a need to improve the effective coordination of local care systems with the National Care System.
IV-3 Key conditions for success
Recognize care as work and coordinate the efforts of social and solidarity economy organizations with other stakeholders: governments (all ministries), the private sector, and families.It is important to ensure care infrastructures with proper equipment and occupational safety and health conditions, while respecting the ancestral practices of communities, but providing minimum dignified care conditions.
IV-4 Key conditions for sustainability
The signing of the CONPES for the National Public Care Policy, committing resources and actions for 10 years, ensures that this policy remains sustainable despite the upcoming change in government and the possible dissolution of the Ministry of Equality.
IV-5 Potential for transferability, expansion and replicability in other countries and contexts
The possibility of applying these processes in countries with similar territorial and political contexts would facilitate their implementation in comparable settings, particularly those involving rural, Indigenous, and ethnic minority groups. However, it is essential that each experience be reviewed and adapted to its specific context.
V-1 Sources of information and documents used on the characteristics of the initiative, including links to websites, news items, toolkits, policy documents or reports
Ministerio de Igualdad y Equidad: Programa Nacional de Cuidado
La OIT y Ministerio de la Igualdad y Equidad impulsan organizaciones de cuidado en el Cesar y Chocó, ColombiaEl Objetivo: Fortalecer organizaciones de cuidado a partir de la economía social y solidaria para el trabajo decente en el cuidado territorial.