Women’s Economic Empowerment: Transforming the Care Economy in Asia and the Pacific

The Asia Foundation is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024. For seven decades, we have partnered with change-makers from government, civil society, the private sector, and academia to solve some of the greatest challenges facing Asia and the Pacific. To mark this milestone, we are sharing a series of highlights showing the scope and impact of our contributions, past and present. We are committed to building on these achievements in the decades ahead.

Throughout Asia and the Pacific, an overlooked workforce labors tirelessly, their contributions undervalued and largely unseen. They are the caregivers—most of them women—the mothers, daughters, and sisters who perform the essential tasks of childcare, eldercare, and caring for those with disabilities. This disproportionate burden has long perpetuated gender inequalities and hindered women’s economic and labor-force participation. But change is on the horizon.  

At the forefront of this change is a bold strategy to elevate the regional care agenda and build an evidence base to reshape policies and perspectives. In November 2022, The Asia Foundation and its partners gathered 80 representatives from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector for the Bali Care Economy Dialogue. Leveraging the global spotlight on the G20 Leaders’ Summit, the dialogue amplified voices from Asia and the Pacific and set forth actionable policies and strategies to build a regional care agenda. 

Underpinning this strategy is our comprehensive white paper, Towards a Resilient Care Ecosystem in Asia and the Pacific, which details promising practices and actionable pathways to a more equitable care ecosystem. We also collaborated with partners to create a Regional Roadmap for Action, outlining evidence-based recommendations and an action plan for governments, civil society, and the private sector to advance care policy, delivery, and justice. 

The Foundation’s country offices have translated these words into action. In Thailand, we champion policies to bolster childcare services. In Mongolia, our public awareness campaigns rally support for the care revolution. In Malaysia, we design frameworks to professionalize care work. Across the Pacific Islands, our research illuminates the complex dynamics of care-related migration. And in Sri Lanka, our capacity-building initiatives empower government officials and local women’s organizations to construct a stronger, locally-led care ecosystem.  

Beyond Asia and the Pacific, the Foundation co-organized an event at the July 2023 Women Deliver conference in Kigali, Rwanda, to translate existing care insights and theories into programs and policies. We continue to build the evidence base, contributing to a synthesis document from the Women Deliver event and two G20 policy briefs. The Foundation was also invited to organize a session on care work at the 2023 APEC Women and the Economy Forum and to contribute to another session organized by the OECD and the Government of South Korea at the 2024 Commission on the Status of Women. 

The Foundation is now a leader in developing a Global Roadmap for Action (which builds on the regional roadmap), which will be unveiled this year. By amplifying the voices of care workers, building the evidence base, and fostering collaboration, we are paving the way for a future where care work is valued and supported—an essential step towards gender equality and unlocking the economic potential of women across Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.