Care remains one of the most undervalued yet fundamental forms of everyday work that sustains life. In Greece and around the world, women continue to bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care work for children, older people, and dependent family members, with significant consequences for their economic, social, and personal lives. Large-scale research by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) shows that 7.7 million women in the European Union are outside the labour market because they care for children, older people, or relatives. The corresponding figure for men is approximately 450,000 (EIGE, 2020). In addition, 66% of women and only 41% of men participate in household work on a daily basis (EIGE, 2024).
The documentary “No Days Off: The Care That Keeps the World Standing” aims to spark a public dialogue on the universal right to care and the gender care gap, highlighting the need for collective solutions and meaningful institutional interventions. Through personal stories, research findings, and contemporary theoretical perspectives on the care economy, we explore a series of critical questions: Why is care work invisible and undervalued? Why is it still considered primarily “women’s work”? How does the lack of institutional care affect the most vulnerable groups, such as migrant women and LGBTI+ people? And how do gender stereotypes shape forms of masculinity that discourage men from caring for others and for themselves? Can we imagine a world where care is a collective, community responsibility?
A documentary by Maria Louka, Natasa Kefallinou and Niovi Anazikou, produced as part of the DISC project.
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Featuring (in order of appearance):
- Lyo Kalovirnas
- Anna Vougiouka
- Marilella Antonopoulou
- Sonia Ntova
- Angeliki Marinou
- Lena Rammou
- Patti Vardami
- Dimitra Kyrillou
- Anna Kouroupou
Directors of Photography: Alexandros Katsis and Alexandros Aristopoulos
Editing: Olympia Gauguet
Παραγωγή: Oh My Dog
The documentary was produced as part of the project “DISC: Theatre Pedagogy Interventions on Gender Stereotypes and Equal Sharing of Care,” implemented by the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network and the Diotima Centre. The project is part of the CERV-2024-GE Programme and is co-funded by the European Commission.
Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
