Towards a better future: Strengthening gender-responsive and disability-inclusive transformative care and support

Advancing and strengthening gender-transformative and disability-inclusive care and support systems is fundamental to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. Efforts to transform care and support systems must actively and systematically advance non-discrimination and gender equality across society.

Achieving this requires identifying who is excluded or discriminated against, understanding how and why, and recognizing those experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. It also requires pinpointing inequalities in care and support outcomes and opportunities, as well as patterns of discrimination in laws, policies, and practices. The goal is to prioritize these efforts to support the hard-to-reach and make the invisible visible.

This policy paper provides key insights into the intersection of gender and disability within care and support environments. It emphasizes that developing comprehensive and inclusive care systems is essential for promoting gender equality and protecting the rights of both care recipients and caregivers, especially persons with disabilities. Acknowledging that care needs evolve throughout a person’s life, the paper underscores the importance of adopting a life-course approach when designing and implementing care systems.