What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “career break”? Travelling around the world? A master’s degree? For many women, these breaks are often not about personal development or exploration, but about providing care, a vital yet invisible form of labor.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, women are 55.2% more likely than men to take a career break, with these pauses lasting an average of 19.6 months. This isn’t just an individual issue, it has direct implications for organizational productivity as well. Most of these breaks stem from care responsibilities. A work that is invisible and unavoidable.
The care economy encompasses all economic activities related to the care of children, the elderly, or those in need of medical assistance. Historically, this labor has been unpaid and overwhelmingly carried out by women, seen merely as part of private life. Yet this invisible effort is one of the main reasons women are less likely to participate in the workforce, secure promotions, or remain in the talent pipeline. In today’s world, care work is not just a gender equity issue. It has become a strategic concern that directly impacts corporate performance and sustainability.
Many women encounter unseen barriers in their career journeys due to caregiving duties. These obstacles not only hinder participation in the workforce but also block pathways to leadership. As a result, women hold just 29.5% of top executive positions among university graduates. Despite having the education and qualifications, women still face systemic disadvantages when it comes to reaching decision making roles. Gender inequality deepens at every step of the career ladder.
For HR leaders, this means flexible work models, gender neutral caregiving policies, and support systems like childcare assistance are no longer optional perks, they are essential for long-term sustainability of organisations.
If companies want to have diverse workforce and retain their women employees, they must embrace a workplace culture that’s attuned to the care economy. Without addressing the invisible weight carried by much of the workforce, true equality remains out of reach.
