Cali caregivers gain a local support project
Rank 30 | Care and inclusion | Colombia | SDGs 5, 8, 10
Source publication: 1 October 2026. Clock time not stated by publisher. Evidence status: Local grant approved; worker outcomes unquantified.
AI-generated representative illustration | soft fabric applique editorial illustration. Credit: Development Connects | Kallol Saha.
Spain's Asturias regional government approved an €80,000 collaboration with the International Labour Organization for women providing community care in Cali, Colombia, the ILO reported on 1 October. The project aims to improve working and economic conditions for caregivers organized through local social and solidarity groups. The grant is approved; improved earnings or protection have not yet been demonstrated.
The initiative includes groups running community meals and care services in vulnerable neighbourhoods. Such work supports families but can be poorly paid or informal. The ILO says the project will strengthen women-led organizations and seek greater recognition and protection for their work. It is part of the agency's wider care-economy effort to improve conditions for paid workers and address the burden of unpaid care.
Case detail
The named organizations include the community soup kitchen Delicias de mujer: algo diferente and Madres Comunitarias de Brisas de Mayo. Their inclusion anchors the project in existing local care and social-support work, rather than an abstract national employment scheme. The agreement is the first collaboration between Asturias and the ILO and fits Asturias' development-cooperation priorities for Colombia.
The ILO places it within its wider care-economy agenda, which addresses recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care alongside decent conditions for paid workers. That distinction matters because organizational support and recognition do not automatically establish wages or formal employment. The announcement gives a grant amount and names participating groups, but does not specify a verified worker count, income increase or project-wide coverage result.
Evidence and delivery status
The grant is approved and the local organizations are identified. Improved earnings, formal employment and stronger protection are intended outcomes rather than demonstrated results. The project is a targeted partnership in Cali; the announcement does not establish a national reform or a benefit for all Colombian care workers.
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