This year’s International Day for Care and Support arrives with a historic affirmation: in June 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights recognized care as an autonomous human right in its Advisory Opinion 31/25. For the first time, an international tribunal has declared that every person has the right to receive care, to provide care under dignified conditions, and to care for themselves. This recognition reflects a growing regional commitment to care as a pillar of equality and social justice within the Inter-American system, marking a paradigm shift in how societies value and organize care, and setting a precedent for similar initiatives in other regions.

 For UNRISD, this moment underscores decades of research and advocacy showing that care is not only a moral or social necessity but also a foundation of inclusive, sustainable development. UNRISD’s work on care economies, social reproduction, and gender-responsive policies has consistently highlighted that recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care work is essential to achieving gender equality, decent work, and social justice.