"Caring in a changing climate: Centering care work in climate action"
Summary
This report by Oxfam examines the intersection of climate change and unpaid care work, highlighting how climate impacts exacerbate the global care crisis, particularly for rural livelihoods in low-income countries. [source: caring-in-a-changing-climate-centering-care-work-in-climate-action] It argues that climate mitigation and adaptation strategies have largely overlooked care work, focusing instead on women’s economic empowerment. [source: caring-in-a-changing-climate-centering-care-work-in-climate-action] The report aims to fill this knowledge gap by analyzing how climate change affects the amount, distribution, and conditions of unpaid care work. [source: caring-in-a-changing-climate-centering-care-work-in-climate-action]
Background
The global care crisis is being exacerbated by the global climate emergency, with interlocking impacts that threaten lives and livelihoods worldwide, especially among rural livelihoods in low-income countries. Climate change intensifies care work for people, animals, plants, and places, reduces public services in marginalized communities, and compounds the unfair distribution of unpaid care work that sustains gender inequality. The intersections of climate change and care work have been overlooked in development literature, and climate strategies have paid little attention to how care work is affected by climate impacts.
What happened
Lead photo. — Wikimedia Commons contributor (CC). Source: caring-in-a-changing-climate-centering-care-work-in-climate-action.jpg
The report was published on 23/02/2022 by Oxfam, authored by Sherilyn MacGregor, Seema Arora-Jonsson, and Maeve Cohen. [source: oxfam] It focuses on care workers rather than those cared for, stressing the relational nature of care. [source: oxfam] The report aims to fill a knowledge gap by examining the points of interaction between climate change impacts and the amount, distribution, and conditions of unpaid care work [source: oxfam].
Key people & organizations
- Oxfam
- MacGregor, Sherilyn
- Arora-Jonsson, Seema
- Cohen, Maeve
Tactics used
The report uses framing-and-narrative to shift the discourse on climate action toward centering care work, aiming to influence policy and practice by highlighting overlooked intersections. [source: oxfam]
Outcome
Verdict: unknown.
The outcome is unknown as the source text is a research report that does not describe a specific campaign or its results. It presents analysis and recommendations but no evidence of direct policy or behavioral change. [source: oxfam]
Lessons
- Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies should explicitly address the impacts on unpaid care work to avoid exacerbating gender inequalities.
- Research and advocacy can fill knowledge gaps by centering marginalized perspectives, such as those of care workers, in climate action.
Sources
- oxfam —
[[oxfam]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
oxfam— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py