The present analysis takes the same approach from the perspective of care redistribution, examining the potential offered by social welfare policies for a shift towards a concept of care as a universal right, and thus as a State duty and a responsibility shared not only between women and men, but between the different institutions in society as well. The role inevitably played by care in social protection creates an opportunity to mainstream this foundational aspect of gender relations in social policy and use its potential to take further steps towards equality. This potential does not loom large, however, for most analysts and policymakers. The care economy and unpaid care services do not usually feature as something to be acknowledged, regulated or safeguarded in social protection systems.