KarunaNews Story

In 2010, Colombia became the first country to legally require its government to quantify how much unpaid work was being done and by whom. The initial survey found that caregivers provided more than 35 billion hours of labor each year, amounting to more than one-fifth of GDP, and that women did 80% of that work. In the capital, Bogotá, nearly 4 million women do some form of unpaid care work, and many commute for hours to reach paid care jobs. Since 2020, Bogotá has opened 25 “care blocks,” neighborhood hubs where women can access free laundry, legal aid, job training, mental health services, and more while their children or elderly relatives receive care on site. Mobile buses bring services to rural areas, and an at-home program targets caregivers who support those with severe disabilities. The idea is now gaining traction internationally. In Mexico City last year, more than 70 mayors toured the city’s version of care blocks, known as Utopías.