Gaps in Participation in Unpaid Care Work: The Case of Colombia

Abstract

Introduction

In Colombia, wide gender gaps persist in the distribu- tion of time, although evidence at the departmental le- vel remains limited.

Objective

This article conducts a subnational analysis, estimating gender differences in participation in unpaid care work (UCW) across departments and identifying the demo- graphic, educational, and household factors associated with such participation.

Methodology

Using microdata from the 2022 GEIH (Other Forms of Work module), probabilistic models with departmental fixed effects, interactions, and controls for age, mi- gration, education, marital status, ethnic self-identifi- cation, and household characteristics were estimated. Predicted probabilities and marginal effects are presen- ted.

Results

Findings show that 92% of women engage in UCW ac- tivities, compared to 64% of men. The model confirms higher female participation probabilities in all depart- ments, with particularly wide gaps in San Andrés and Providencia (~50 percentage points) and significant differences in Cesar, Sucre, and Bolívar. These dispari- ties tend to narrow with higher educational levels but remain large among Afro-descendant and Indigenous populations, as well as among individuals with a migra- tory condition.

Conclusions

UCW disproportionately falls on women, with marked territorial heterogeneity. Therefore, care policies must adopt territorial, gender, and intercultural approaches, aligned with the National Care System and accompa- nied by strategies of shared responsibility, service pro- vision, and the right to time, in order to reduce these gaps and expand opportunities for well-being.