Overview

• Issued on August 7, Advisory Opinion OC-31/25 now binds states to recognize care—paid and unpaid—as an autonomous human right under the American Convention on Human Rights.
• The court requires governments to guarantee paid care workers fair labor conditions, including freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
• Member states must address unpaid caregiving through comprehensive policies such as paid parental leave, social security coverage and protections against social exclusion.
• The ruling instructs states to prevent discrimination and safeguard vulnerable caregivers, including migrant domestic workers and those balancing work and family duties.
• The court rejected Argentina’s November 2023 bid to withdraw its request, confirming the opinion’s standing and paving the way for implementation across the Americas.