Picture a familiar historical statue of a powerful male leader – a man remembered for shaping cities, nations, or laws. Now imagine that same statue wearing a bright baby carrier, with a tiny doll tucked safely against his chest. This unexpected sight has been popping up in cities around the world, sparking curiosity, conversations, and simple but powerful questions. What would change if the men who shaped our societies also shared the daily responsibility of care? What would happen if our male leaders understood that care counts – to our communities and economies – and ensured that those who work in the care economy are paid decently?
This striking image is part of a growing international feminist street art movement challenging the persistent inequality of care work. By attaching baby dolls to statues of prominent male figures, advocates are shining a spotlight on the invisible labour that sustains families and communities, and the policies that still fail to value it.
Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8, campaigners in Toronto transformed seven statues of male leaders across the city. Winston Churchill at Toronto City Hall and the Pillars of Justice outside the Toronto Courthouse were among those suddenly caring for the day, adorned with colourful baby carriers. The playful yet provocative installations invited passersby to pause and reflect: who does the work of caring for children, and why is that work still overlooked? The street art project uses notable statues to make visible the care that is invisible in so much of our public life.
A week later, the campaign arrived in Ottawa, where more statues across the nation’s capital were temporarily transformed into caregivers. The installations are part of Care Counts, a new campaign focused on the chronic undervaluing of care work, especially early childhood education. In Ontario, advocates are urging the provincial government to increase wages for Early Childhood Educators under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care plan or $10aDay plan. Despite the vital role they play in children’s development and in supporting working families, many educators remain underpaid and undervalued.
The message behind Care Counts is simple but urgent: care work is essential work. Without it, economies stall, families struggle, and communities weaken. Yet the people who provide this care – overwhelmingly women, often racialized women – continue to face low wages, few benefits, and no pensions. Their labour is invisible in a society that prioritizes the achievements of men by erecting statues in their honour.
These Canadian advocates are joining a growing international wave of activists using this creative tactic. The idea first gained traction in 2025 when activists in the UK began placing dolls on statues of famous men. Their goal was to highlight the stark inequality in parenting policies – particularly the United Kingdom’s two-week paternity leave, one of the shortest in Europe.
The movement quickly spread. In Sweden, activists have strapped baby dolls onto statues of national leaders in Stockholm, Malmö, and Umeå. Even in Sweden – often considered a global leader in gender equality – there is still a persistent gender gap in caregiving. German activists have recently joined the movement to mark Equal Care Day in Germany on March 1st, decorating statues in several cities across the country.
Here in Ontario, the Care Counts campaign is led by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. By turning monuments of power and patriarchy into unexpected symbols of caregiving, they are making an important point: care work powers our economy, and those that do it deserve decent work and pay.
Sometimes the most powerful way to start a conversation is to change what we see in public spaces. When statues become caregivers – even for a day – they remind us that caring for children is not just a private responsibility. Care counts, it should be a public priority, and it’s time our politicians treat it that way.