Transforming the Care Economy

Women’s equal access to economic opportunities is imperative for future growth and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific. The participation of women in the labor force is also critical to women’s advancement and achieving gender equality in the region. However, research has shown that one critical barrier for women to enter the labor force is the doub… Read more

More than 100 organizations converged on Kigali, Rwanda, in July to hammer out a strategic roadmap for action on the global care economy.

Strengthening Care Policies and Intersectional Movements for Care Justice In recent years, ongoing conflicts and crises have spurred the urgent need for action and political will to support a resilient care economy. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the fragility, inadequacy, and injustice of the global childcare, eldercare, and disability care infrast… Read more

Unpaid caregiving has become an insupportable burden for economies in Asia and the Pacific. Last November, the Foundation hosted the Bali Care Economy Dialogue to leverage global momentum around transforming the care economy while elevating perspectives on care from Asia and the Pacific. On June 22-23, The Asia Foundation took part in leading two s… Read more

In partnership with the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, The Asia Foundation convened “Care Economy Dialogue: Toward a Resilient and Sustainable Care Economy in Malaysia” on March 28, 2023, in Kuala Lumpur. Bringing together senior officials from key government ministries and representatives from the private sector and civil society, the dia… Read more

If all the world’s care workers were one national economy, it would be among the largest, in hours worked, in the world. It would also consist mostly of women, and they would be mostly unpaid.

Drawing on the input and expertise of Bali Care Economy Dialogue participants, this Roadmap for Action is a co-created regional agenda for building a resilient care ecosystem in Asia and the Pacific. Beginning with an overview of key issues discussed at the Dialogue, the Roadmap for Action lays out overarching priorities, key asks, and important an… Read more

The Asia Foundation, UN Women, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are pleased to invite you to a virtual reflection session that will provide an overview of a recent regional convening—the Bali Care Economy Dialogue—that took place in November 2022 to leverage global momentum around transforming the care economy while elevat… Read more

There is growing recognition that care work is both a ubiquitous and critical social and economic activity. Globally, care providers support over one billion people, including children, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. While some are paid for this work, most are women from marginalized backgrounds who are unpaid or poorly paid and lack… Read more

Globally, care workers support over one billion people, including young children, aging adults, and people with disabilities. While some are paid for this work, most care providers are unpaid and lack adequate family support to redistribute care responsibilities. Paid care workers also lack support from their governments in accessing the critical s… Read more

A high-level meeting in Bali, Indonesia, this week will seek to position care work as a priority for economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, where women perform 80 percent of the total amount of unpaid care work—larger than any other region in the world. The Bali Care Economy Dialogue from 12-14 November will convene approximately 70 experts fr… Read more

Unpaid caregiving has become an insupportable burden for economies in Asia and the Pacific. On the eve of the G20 Summit, the Bali Care Economy Dialogue will mobilize governments, business, and civil society to forge a regional agenda.