ILO policy in perspective: Reframing care and care work as a public good. Observations from Europe

Interdisciplinary knowledge about the high relevance of care, care work and the care economy has been produced for many decades. Feminist scholars have long struggled for the recognition of these activities as a vital economic and social contribution to societies. As an unplanned consequence of globalization, liberalization and privatization – the dominant trends in international politics – this relevance has become more visible to a wider audience and politically significant to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Worldwide, it informed new political approaches to reevaluate care activities and care work. The approach of primarily improving individual employment relationships, as important it is, does not seem to be sufficient to bring about decent work in care activities.