Providing care through the social and solidarity economy

Social and solidarity economy (SSE) entities, including cooperatives, are playing an increasingly important role in delivering accessible, high-quality, and inclusive care services. Their people-centred models prioritize community well-being, democratic governance, and sustainable solutions. By involving paid care workers, unpaid carers, care recipients, families, and communities, SSE entities create holistic approaches that respond to diverse care needs while enhancing working conditions for care providers. Through research, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge sharing, the ILO supports SSE actors as crucial providers of care and as key drivers of decent work, formalization, and gender equality.

This webinar aims to: 

• Showcase ILO country experiences in delivering care through cooperatives and other SSE entities in Colombia, Occupied Palestinian Territory and Zimbabwe, and across regions.
• Identify challenges in the care economy and highlight the potential of cooperatives and other SSE entities to formalize care work, improve working conditions, enhance early childhood education and care, support women’s economic participation, and better meet community care needs. 
• Facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange among ILO teams, partners, and care receivers and providers, fostering collaboration and informing programmatic action.