Caregivers in Bogotá, Colombia: A Long Path Toward Gender Equality

The Digna Project, in partnership with the National Consulting Center, analyzed 1,877 surveys on caregiving in Bogotá, Colombia. Their report underscores the significant gender disparities in care giving for both children and elders in Bogotá.

Women carry the majority of care giving responsibilities, which has a deeper impact on their economic and personal lives compared to men. Two surveys were conducted: one focused on children’s primary caregivers and the other on elder primary caregivers. They defined the primary caregiver as follows: “An individual who, excluding paid professionals, provides the majority of daily care, including the management and organization of care. This person may or may not live with the child(ren) or elderly person(s) and may or may not be the child(ren)’s biological parent or legal guardian or a relative of the elderly person(s)”. Care recipients were divided by age: 12 years old or younger (children) and 65 years or older (elders), while caregivers were adults aged 18 or older. 

Caring for Children

Caring for children under 12 shows a clear gender disparity. The data reveals that 847 women and only 99 men identify as primary caregivers, showing that women overwhelmingly bear this responsibility. This reflects the persistence of traditional gender roles in the city. Of these caregivers, poorer women tend to take on more care giving duties than their wealthier counterparts. More women caregivers are found in the poorer South and Southwest areas (244 and 242 women), compared to the North and East (218 and 143 women). This suggests that women in less affluent areas need to provide more familial care giving, likely due to limited access to formal childcare services. 

The lack of affordable childcare creates a vicious cycle: because private childcare is unaffordable, women must take on the responsibility themselves. These childcare responsibilities limit their economic opportunities, making childcare even less affordable in the future. 

A notable finding is the age range of children’s caregivers, with some older individuals still taking on care-giving duties. The maximum age for a female caregiver was 85 years, while for men it was 80. 

Impact of Childcare on Employment 

The impact of care giving on employment is stark: 49.82% of women reported that their work was affected by care-giving responsibilities, compared to 30.30% of men. Many women had to quit their jobs (32.23%) or reduce their work hours. Interestingly, a higher percentage of men (23.33% vs 13.98%) chose to reduce their hours instead of quitting entirely. However, women who reduced their hours faced a greater impact: 18 women cut their hours by 50%-75%, and 16 women reduced them by more than 75%. In contrast, fewer men made such significant reductions, highlighting the greater toll on women’s employment. 

Long-term Economic Consequences 

The long-term economic effects of caregiving are particularly severe for women. Women reported quitting their jobs as far back as 2010, compared to men, who only started reporting job quits in 2021.  Additionally, women tended to forgo lower salaries than men. A significant number of women (87) had to give up salaries in the range of COP $500,001 – $1,300,000, which is below Colombia’s 2024 minimum wage. This illustrates a severe economic burden, where women, despite earning less, still had to sacrifice this income for caregiving. In contrast, of the four men who quit their jobs to care for a child, three gave up salaries in the same range as women, while one forfeited a much higher salary in the range of COP $2,600,001 – $3,900,000. 

Elder Caregiving 

Elder caregiving shows a similar gender pattern. Most elders receiving care are women, and most caregivers are also women. The average age of elders receiving care shows that women tend to be slightly older (83.69 years) compared to men (81.10 years). Additionally, most of the elders receiving care are women, with 569 women (70.94% of the total) compared to 233 men (29.05%). This difference in age and proportion reflects that women, who often live longer than men, are not only the primary caregivers throughout life but also tend to need more care in their later years. However, due to their care-giving responsibilities, they may face financial challenges in affording care when they need it. 

Living Arrangements of Elder Caregivers 

Looking at the duration of cohabitation provides further insights. On average, women have lived with the elders they care for around 19 years, whereas male caregivers reported living with their elders for 14.6 years. This longer duration for women suggests that they may take on care-giving roles earlier or remain in them more consistently throughout their lives. Additionally, the maximum duration for women is higher, reaching 20.69 years, compared to 17.48 years for men, indicating greater variability in the length of time women spend in care-giving roles. 

The average ages of elder caregivers living with the elders they care for are similar across genders. Women caregivers reported an average age of 55.25 years, while men were slightly older at 57.69 years. On average, both genders have been in care-giving roles for about 7 years, with women reporting 7.2 years and men 7.29 years. This similarity suggests that once individuals assume care-giving duties, they tend to stay in the role for a significant period, regardless of gender. 

Conclusion 

Women are more likely to see their work disrupted by care-giving responsibilities, often having to quit their jobs or reduce their working hours. This has significant economic consequences, particularly for women who already earn below the minimum wage and must forgo this income to fulfill care-giving duties. Men, on the other hand, are less likely to quit or reduce their hours, and when they do, they tend to earn more, further widening the gender income gap. 

A similar pattern is evident in elder care-giving, where women are typically the primary caregivers and often live with those they care for. This extends their care-giving responsibilities into their daily lives for long periods, sometimes lasting decades. The demands of care giving deeply affect women’s well-being, personal time, and economic prospects, highlighting the need for stronger societal and policy support. 

These findings emphasize the urgent need for policies and interventions that support caregivers, address gender inequalities in care-giving roles, and reduce the economic and personal sacrifices these individuals make. By recognizing and supporting the essential contributions of caregivers, especially women, Bogotá can move toward a more equitable and sustainable future for all. 

Special acknowledgment to Juan José Rojas, Quantitative Specialist, and Paola Camelo, Qualitative Specialist, for their invaluable contributions to this project.