Bogota, Columbia has been making historic strides towards gender equity by investing in government-provided care labor through programs known as “care blocks.” These “care blocks” provide an opportunity for women to drop off their children to create more free time. With this free time, mothers have an opportunity to run errands, meet with different consultants, relax while catching up with friends, or even finish school.
This initiative is pivotal; it tackles the systematic issue of unpaid care labor that disproportionately gets placed onto women. Unpaid care work is the invisible, yet necessary, work that keeps households and families running. Gendered social norms reinforce the expectation that domestic care labor be completed by women.
Around the world, women and girls complete 16 billion hours of unpaid care work every day. Since women have more unpaid responsibilities, this results in less time for opportunities outside the household, which is commonly known as “time poverty.” After becoming a mother, the lack of time affects two very important areas in an individual’s life: mental wellness and professional development.
Care blocks allow women to take a step back from the stress of motherhood and care for their mental health. Studies show that mothers without a strong support system are more likely to experience depression, burnout, and overall reduced mental health.
Addressing the “time poverty” that mothers face is crucial for gender equity professionally. After having children, women are less likely to continue education or make professional advancements in their career due to childcare restrictions and household responsibility. This often leaves women stuck in the same professional position once becoming a mother. Implementing care blocks allows mothers to advance their education, giving them better opportunities in the professional world.
The professional effects of care blocks can be seen immediately for women across the city. Bogota has a citywide graduation for individuals who complete month-long trainings in specialized career topics. During the graduation, rows fill with mothers and female caregivers.
Bogota’s initiatives demonstrate that women should not be expected to halt their individual and intellectual development once having children. Instead, governments should provide alternative resources, like care blocks, to ensure gender equity of all opportunities.
Behind this initiative is Claudia Lopez, the first queer woman mayor of Bogota. Care blocks were one of the main focuses of her administration, in hopes to shift and redistribute the burden of unpaid care labor into a paid system.
Lopez spearheading this initiative demonstrates the importance of women in political office. When women hold political office, they are more likely to prioritize and directly address care needs through solutions grounded in lived experience.
To have real gender equity, society needs to tackle deep-rooted gender constructs that allow unpaid labor to fall onto women. Following Bogota’s lead, implementing care blocks can be monumental for women around the world.
