International Women’s Day – recognising women’s hidden labour

Ahead of International Women’s Day, Marie Curie is highlighting the disproportionate role of women in unpaid end-of-life care and the wider unpaid labour economy.

Nearly 60% of unpaid end-of-life carers in the UK are women, with up to 458,000 women providing this essential yet undervalued support each year. 

On average, female carers earn £860 to £1,615 less per month than male counterparts, facing financial insecurity as they juggle employment with caregiving. 

Marie Curie is calling on the UK Government to extend Carer’s Allowance entitlement from two to six months after bereavement to ease this strain.

Aston spoke to Frances Glover, volunteer at Marie Curie.

Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash