Some feminist theorists and ethicists have rejected some aspects of care ethics and the concept of caregiving as a value because it portrays women in an arguably stereotypical way—kind, caring, gentle, emotional, and sensitive instead of strong, courageous, reasonable, and assertive, which are characteristics mainly attributed to men.

They argue that this misconception of caregiving as a value is somewhat sexist, as it encourages some to think that women are the "natural" caregivers or that they're "naturally" more caring and nurturing due to their gender. This is, of course, incorrect; however, such archaic societal beliefs and stereotypical points of view on caregiving do have some unintended consequences, such as the demand for women in some cultures and communities to accept the roles of caregivers, regardless of their personal views, opinions, skills, and knowledge. This might also be one of the reasons why so many teaching and nursing jobs are dominated by women.

Other feminist theorists have embraced caregiving as a value, but they argue that caregiving shouldn't be "feminized"—it shouldn't be associated only with women, but with humans in general, as everybody is capable of being caring and compassionate and everyone has the capacity and ability to provide care and protection, regardless of their gender. Society mustn't downplay the values and roles that are considered "feminine": in fact, society shouldn't consider any roles and values "feminine" or "masculine."