In Latin America, care has been recognized as a human right: the right to care, to be cared for, and to take care of oneself (self-care). With this, considerable progress has been made in unlinking care from the private sphere and inserting it into paid employment. How is it possible that an activity that is central to life is recognized as a right?What are its benefits? Does it have an effect on everybody or only on women? Does the fact that it is a right contribute to creating obligations, or is it simply an expression of good political and social will? Are there any differences when the approach has a gender perspective?

For that, this document introduces the theoretical arguments that have led to recognizing care as a human right and the social and political mobilization underpinning its implementation. The Starting Point summarizes the main elements that have contributed to problematizing the sexual division of labor and care, conceptualizing care in its multiple definitions from a Latin American and feminist perspective. The following section uses a gender and human rights approach to lay the foundations for recognizing care as a human right. The paper concludes with recommendations to develop an agenda to realize the right urgently. This work illustrates references to the link between the COVID-19 pandemic and care, as well as public policy recommendations that incorporate the obligations of the human right to care.