CIVICUS discusses the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) recognition of the right to care with Jeffrey Vogt, international labour law expert and chair of the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW Network).
In early August, the IACtHR recognised care as a fundamental human right. Its Advisory Opinion 31/25 defined three aspects of this right: providing care, receiving care and self-care. The decision urges states to create universal care systems, redistribute care responsibilities more fairly and integrate care into national policies. The opinion validates longstanding feminist arguments that care work, often invisible and undervalued, has immense social and economic worth. It provides a legal framework for building more equitable societies where care is a shared responsibility. The test now lies in implementation: civil society, communities and governments should collaborate to transform legal recognition into laws, policies and practices.