The right to care, to be cared for, and to self-care is an autonomous human right

With great excitement, the CLACSO Care and Gender Working Group shares the momentous Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (OC No. 31), which yesterday unanimously recognized that The right to care, to be cared for, and to self-care is an autonomous human right based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination, universality and co-responsibility.

The Court emphasizes that gender inequalities result from the unequal distribution of unpaid care work, noting that States have an obligation to adopt measures to correct this situation.

It recognizes that care work, both paid and unpaid, should be recognized as a form of work, stressing that States must guarantee labor rights and social security for those who perform it.

It advocates for care systems as a tool that promotes the guarantee of this right.

From this Working Group, we recognize this crucial milestone in the regional legal framework and the leading role of feminist academia in its realization. We will continue to promote the urgent advancement of guaranteeing the right to care, generating critical knowledge in dialogue with the feminist movement and political actors.

To learn more about OC No. 31, consult: https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/opiniones/seriea_31_es.docx

August 8th, 2025
CLACSO Working Group
Care and Gender

This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Groups and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.