TEACHER. Rowena, a daycare worker and a mother, is among the tens of thousands of women who are poised to benefit from the unpaid care ordinance enacted by the local government of Salcedo. Photo by Jed Regala/Oxfam
For a domestic care worker who struggles to get through the day, it would take 21,561 years to earn what Lim earns in a year. In turn, Lim would earn what a domestic worker earns in a year in just 10 minutes. Does that sound fair to the Rowenas of the world? The problem is global, too. 4.6 billion of us have less wealth than the world’s 2,513 billionaires. That a few thrive while a majority strive hard for a decent living is a symptom of a global epidemic. In fact, most of us will struggle to make ends meet if we miss a paycheck due to sickness or family trouble; a clear sign of an economy and system that’s failing. Inequality that ails our economies is out of control and keeps growing, leaving billions behind, particularly women and girls.
CHORES. Cristy, a domestic worker, takes advantage of the sunny weather to sort and dry her familyâs laundered clothes. Her house was completely damaged by the storm surge triggered by Typhoon Ursula. Photo by April Abello-Bulanadi/Oxfam Governments can ease the burden of care workers drastically by investing public funds. Universal access to safe water, sanitation, energy, universal childcare, eldercare, and care for people with disabilities would go a long way towards improving their lives and creating opportunities for them to achieve a better tomorrow.