EL DERECHO AL CUIDADO EN EL ORDENAMIENTO JURÍDICO URUGUAYO

Abstract

This study examines care rights within the Uruguayan legal system considering the legal standards established in Advisory Opinion OC-31/25, issued on June 12, 2025, by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on “The Content and Scope of Care Rights and Its Interrelation with Other Rights.” Empirical evidence shows that women devote more hours to care work than men. This results in unintended consequences: higher dropout rates from educational settings, difficulties in accessing the formal labor market with adequate remuneration, and the overrepresentation of women in low-skilled jobs with low wages, interrupted contribution histories, and reduced social security coverage. The article provides a brief analysis of the Advisory Opinion and reviews the various care-related policies implemented in Uruguay. It concludes that the country’s existing legal framework on care aligns with the legal standards established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, while emphasizing the need to further strengthen these measures.