Care matters - Empowering women caregivers and people with disabilities

This project aims to enhance the well-being of unpaid caregivers and care receivers particularly women and people with disabilities in selected municipalities in Havana and Pinar del Río Cuba. Humanity and Inclusion seeks to partner with Cuban organizations to transform how care work is seen and provided especially for the benefit of women caregivers and care receivers with disabilities. This aligns with the changes being implemented in Cuba around care work for life and Canada´s feminist approach to unpaid and paid care work. Project activities include: (1) supporting collection and analysis of data on care gender and disability by reference centers in both provinces; (2) providing technical assistance equipment and materials to local care system institutions and civil society organizations; (3) reviewing and transforming local development strategies from a care gender and disability approach; (4) implementing community awareness programs on equal sharing of care including innovative initiatives with a gender disability and positive masculinity approach; (5) providing training sessions and equipment to care services centers; (6) providing support to caregivers and care receivers especially women and people with disability to engage in environmentally sustainable entrepreneurship activities; and (7) providing training and coaching on gender and disability sensitive economic inclusion for local public and private socio-economic stakeholders.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved provision of care services for women and people with disabilities by local care system institutions and civil society organizations; (2) improved distribution of care work at the family and community levels; and (3) increased economic inclusion of unpaid care givers and care receivers focusing on women and people with disabilities.