Care Connect: Action for Care Workers in the Philippines and Indonesia

Description

The Care Connect: Action for Care Workers in the Philippines and Indonesia project is a collaborative initiative between Oxfam and local partners that aims to empower women and girls through improving socio-economic well-being and upholding the rights of women and girls. Valued at $5.95 million and running for four years (2024-2027), the project targets paid and unpaid care workers, primarily in Indonesia and the Philippines.

The project is designed to address gender disparities in care work that is predominantly done by women, both directly, such as caring for the sick, and indirectly, such as cooking and cleaning. In the Philippines, priority areas include Mindanao, Luzon, and Eastern Visayas, while in Indonesia it will focus on policy advocacy efforts and strengthening support from various sectors at the national level, along with strengthening groups of domestic care workers in Greater Jakarta, Makassar and Surabaya.

Through a gender and human rights transformation approach, the project will promote the recognition of care work as work and a more equal role in unpaid care work, as well as rewarding paid care workers with a living wage. Care Connect will also engage with stakeholders such as employers, community leaders, the media, and household members, including men and boys, to advocate for the importance of care work. In doing so, the project seeks to increase women’s participation in decision-making, leadership, and provide them with opportunities for equal economic, social, cultural, and political participation.

Funding

This program is supported by Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Canada, the program period is July 25, 2024 – July 15, 2028 with total funding support of CAD $ 2,096,429.