A/68/293 work which he freely chooses or accepts”. 23 Men and women must be able to exercise this right on equal basis. 24 29. Undoubtedly, women cannot enjoy this right equally if they have a disproportionate share of (unpaid) work at home. Gendered distribution of, and stereotypical assumptions about, family and caring responsibilities are at the root of much of the discrimination and limitations women experience in the labour market: barriers to entering employment, fewer opportunities for advancement, lower wages and higher levels of informal and insecure work. 25 Moreover, women’s right to decent work is consistently perceived as inferior to that of men. Simultaneously, discrimination against men who seek to perform a greater share of caring and family responsibilities further entrenches gender stereotypes and disadvantages women. 30. Unpaid care is often a determining factor in women’s decisions or opportunities regarding work. Studies show that time devoted to unpaid care work is a major obstacle to women taking on paid employment or starting an income-generating activity outside the home. 26 In Latin America and the Caribbean, over half of women surveyed aged 20 to 24 did not seek outside employment because of unpaid responsibilities; the number of women in this group was in fact higher than the number in the education system. 27 31. Guaranteeing the exercise and enjoyment of women’s right to work on an equal basis with men requires that States take all appropriate measures to ensure “that in law and in practice, men and women have equal access to jobs at all levels and all occupations”. 28 States must thus take all appropriate measures to address a broad range of obstacles that care providers face in the exercise of their right to work. Given the centrality of unpaid care work to discrimination against women in the field of work, a meaningful gender-sensitive national policy or strategy to tackle these obstacles is essential. 29 Necessary measures range from the adoption of appropriate labour regulations to the provision of quality services to support care. 32. States are also obliged to take steps to prevent third parties, including business enterprises or private individuals, from interfering in the equal enjoyment of the right to work. For example, States have a legal obligation to ensure that employers do not discriminate against women on the basis of assumptions about the primacy of their care obligations or because of beliefs that women’s place is in the home. 33. The right to work also requires States parties to take positive measures to enable and assist unpaid caregivers to enjoy the right to work without discrimination and to implement technical and vocational education plans to facilitate access to __________________ 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 13-42271 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 6. Ibid., article 3; and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, article 11. ILO and UNDP, Work and Family. In the United Republic of Tanzania, a one-hour reduction for every 10 hours per week spent on water and fuel collection increased the probability that women would engage in off-farm business activities by 7 per cent; see UNDP, Unpaid Care Work, Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction Policy Brief, issue No. 1 (October 2009). See also Fontana, “Gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment”. Antonopoulos, “The unpaid work-paid work connection”, citing data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 16. ILO Convention No. 111. 9/24