ILO 5R framework for care work
Also called: 5R framework, Recognise, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, Represent · Topic: Employment, Unemployment and Informalisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The ILO 5R framework is a policy guide from the International Labour Organization for making care work fair. It splits care work into two kinds, unpaid and paid, and sets goals for each.
For unpaid care work (caring for family members and doing household chores, mostly done by women and left out of GDP) there are three goals:
- Recognise it, by measuring and valuing it.
- Reduce its load, through services and infrastructure.
- Redistribute it, from women to men and from families to the state and employers.
For paid care workers such as nurses, domestic workers and eldercare givers there are two goals:
- Reward them with fair pay and social security.
- Represent them by giving them a voice through unions and social dialogue (talks between workers, employers and government).
The framework matters because women's heavy care burden keeps the female labour force participation rate low.
Example
India's Time Use Survey 2024 measured women's unpaid domestic and care work, which is Recognise. Piped water at home saves women hours of fetching water, which is Reduce. Village crèches move childcare from the family to the state, which is Redistribute. Social security cover for home caregivers is Reward, and a domestic workers' union is Represent.
Don't confuse with
- Decent work (ILO): a general goal for all jobs. It has four pillars: employment, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue. The 5R framework applies only to care work, and it also covers unpaid care done at home.