The Provision of Care through Cooperatives: From Global Trends to the Case of Italy

A global mapping of care through cooperatives: Preliminary findings

ILO Cooperatives Unit (COOP) and the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch (GED)

The care economy has enormous potential for employment generation; however, much care work remains unremunerated or undercompensated. As global care needs grow due to shifts such as the growing aging population, innovative solutions to the employment of care workers and the provision of care are needed. Rooted in values of social justice, equity, democracy and decent work for all, cooperatives are emerging one such solution. Yet much remains to be understood about the provision of care through cooperatives, and about cooperatives as employers of care workers.

In an effort to address this gap, the ILO Cooperatives Unit (COOP) and the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch (GED) have embarked on a global mapping of the provision of care through cooperative enterprises.

Preliminary findings from the study suggest that for care workers, cooperatives oftentimes provide higher wages, offer more benefits like maternity leave, and extend greater bargaining power.