Cooperative care models addressing global needs and improving social well-being

Geneva (ILO News) - The care economy, one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, is a cornerstone of social and economic development. Yet, care workers-most of whom are women-tend to face challenging working conditions, low wages, and limited recognition for their contributions. Addressing these inequities was at the heart of the session on provision of care through cooperatives held during the ICA Global Conference in New Delhi.

The session began with an introduction by CICOPA, an International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives, emphasizing the critical role of cooperatives in addressing care needs worldwide. As informal care work disproportionately falls on women, cooperatives are emerging as innovative providers of care services, particularly in contexts where public care systems are weak or absent. By organizing workers and communities, cooperatives are creating opportunities for social and economic inclusion, especially for women, while addressing systemic inequalities in the care economy.

Mr Giuseppe Guerini, President of CECOP, the European confederation of industrial and service cooperatives, reflected on Italy's pioneering role in the development of social cooperatives. He recounted how these cooperatives arose in response to citizens' need for better care services, as well as societal efforts to overcome the segregation of mentally disabled people. Today, Italy is home to over 14,000 social cooperatives, many of which provide care, education, and health services while also organizing work for socially excluded individuals. Mr. Guerini emphasized that these cooperatives have been driven by values of inclusion, participation, and the belief that care work is essential to social cohesion. However, he highlighted the need to measure and evaluate the impact of cooperative care models more systematically to ensure their contributions are fully recognized.

Ms Sonia George of The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) addressed the gendered nature of care work, emphasizing that many people struggle to define and reconcile the paid and unpaid dimensions of care work, leaving domestic workers-who provide critical care in private homes-among the most neglected and marginalized workers. Drawing from SEWA's experience, Ms. George explained how cooperatives and SSE entities have provided solutions by professionalizing care work, enabling collective bargaining, and offering social protection to workers. She underscored the importance of addressing care needs holistically, particularly in contexts where public care services are absent.

Speaking to the challenges faced by the Global South, Ms Simel Esim, Manager of the ILO's Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit, discussed recent efforts at the ILO to promote gender-transformative decent work solutions to provision of care through cooperatives and other SSE entities. She highlighted ongoing initiatives in countries such as Colombia, Lebanon, OPT and Zimbabwe, where the ILO has conducted national assessments and implemented cooperative-based care solutions. Ms Esim explained how the ILO's interventions consider macro-level policies, meso-level institutional support, and micro-level enterprise development to tailor solutions to specific contexts. She also stressed that cooperatives and SSE entities are essential for addressing care challenges in regions where government support and enabling environments are often limited.

"It is not enough to have cooperative policies and laws in place; supportive mechanisms and a conducive environment for effective implementation are critical."

Dr Rose Karimi, Cooperative Adviser with Health Partners in Kenya, shared her experiences establishing more than 30 health cooperatives in Uganda. These cooperatives have provided a platform for women to address unpaid care burdens while gaining a voice in decision-making processes. Dr. Karimi emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnerships in scaling cooperative health insurance models, noting that working together allows stakeholders to avoid duplication of efforts and build on existing successes.

From the Canadian perspective, Ms Hazel Corcoran of the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation highlighted how worker cooperatives are integrating care provision into innovative, worker-owned structures. She mentioned the case of Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative (MCHB) in Alberta, Canada is a workers' cooperative established to address health and social issues faced by immigrant and refugee families. Similarly, Ms Melina Morrison, CEO of the Australian Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, emphasized the role of policy frameworks in fostering cooperative development. She stressed that these frameworks must explicitly include cooperatives to ensure they can compete on equal footing with profit-maximizing firms. In Australia, such policies are seen as crucial to enabling cooperatives to thrive in the care economy and beyond. She mentioned the Care Together Program to start and grow more cooperatives and mutuals in social care. She referred to the BCCM campaign titled Action to Empower: Social Care Mutuals and related Action to Empower report.

Throughout the session, panelists reflected on the transformative potential of cooperatives and other SSE entities in addressing the care economy's challenges. By providing innovative and inclusive solutions, these models empower workers, improve care services, and foster social cohesion. The session underscored that while cooperatives offer significant promise, their impact depends on strong policy frameworks, robust partnerships, and continued advocacy to ensure they are recognized as central actors in the care economy.