Unpaid Child and Elderly Care in Bogota

In Unpaid Child and Elderly Care in Bogotá, Digna, Labour and Gender Project, and the University of the Andes present the results of 1,877 surveys with caregivers of children and older adults in Bogotá, Colombia. The results demonstrate the need for policies that redistribute care work between men and women, and between families, the State, the market and the community. It is necessary to move towards a comprehensive care system that guarantees the right to dignified care for all people, recognizing its fundamental social and economic value for the sustainability of life.

Ana María Tribín and Natalia Ramírez-Bustamante lead the Care Economies in Context Colombia team.

Citation

Tribín, A., Ramírez-Bustamante, N., Camelo, P., José Rojas, J. (2025). Final Results Report – June 2024. Unpaid Child and Elderly Care in Bogotá.

Conclusions

The survey conducted in Bogotá on the care of the elderly and children under 12 years of age reveals that this work falls disproportionately on women, who represent 86% of caregivers, 82% of caregivers of the elderly and 90% of caregivers of children. This finding reflects the reality of unpaid domestic and care work in Colombia, which is mainly assumed by women. This situation highlights the existing gender inequality in the distribution of care work and the need for policies that promote greater co- responsibility in this area.

Caregivers of the elderly have an average age of 56 years and half of them are in the 55 to 69 age range. This suggests that a significant proportion of caregivers are older people caring for other older people, which may imply additional challenges in terms of their own health and caregiving capacity.

It is also observed that more than 80% of these caregivers dedicate more than 6 hours a day to this task. Most of them care for their parents, have been doing so for 3 years or more, and do not have sufficient external support. Although caregiving generates positive feelings for many, it also has significant costs in terms of health, employment and personal autonomy.

In the case of childcare, caregivers are on average 41 years old and usually care for 1.5 children within their families, with little co-responsibility from other family members or the children’s father. Only 8% use paid childcare services. Women report lower satisfaction with the distribution of care and greater impacts on their well-being, health and employment than male caregivers.

Both types of caregivers experience negative impacts on their employment trajectory due to caregiving, such as having to quit work, reduce working hours, or turn down opportunities. This situation is more frequent among women, deepening gender gaps in the labor market. In addition, they face employment discrimination related to maternity.

The classification analyses show that caregiving experiences are more positive for young, male and formally employed caregivers, while older, unemployed women who care for several family members or children face more difficult and demanding experiences, with greater burdens and less support.