in the family. They make sure that the others who work “properly” are able to return strengthened to face the tough competition for income and career. However, care work is not a private matter, but a business. It is directly connected to the core of the economy, namely the satisfaction of needs. Thanks to national and global statistical surveys, we now know that more people work without pay than are being paid. In 2016, for example, 9.2 billion hours of unpaid work and 7.9 billion hours of paid work were performed by the population of Switzerland (aged 15 and over). We are all dependent on the care of others In the era of the patriarchy’s twilight, the supposedly clear distinction between male-occupied exterior space and
female-occupied interior space has been mixed up. Once the dichotomy of the economy is lifted, poverty due to care work is no longer normal. It is therefore high time to replace this dichotomy in all areas with future-oriented thinking. The result is the emergence of new models of society: people who take care of the household, raise children, and care for relatives, or who are committed to community welfare can secure their livelihood and expect an adequate pension in old age. The economy is again about the really important matters that affect us all. We are returning to a realistic self-perception: we are all dependent on care, vulnerable, and needy — sometimes more, sometimes less. This dependence is particularly noticeable at the beginning and end of life. Sustainability becomes normal: good living needs healthy, diverse ecosystems as the basis of life.
Comic: Ilustration: Kati Rickenbach. In: Praetorius I. & Grünenfelder R. (2018). Wirtschaft ist Care. Schweizerische Frauen synode 2020.
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