AYAT Education, a social enterprise, organized a roundtable discussion on “Building a Strategic Roadmap for Care Economy in Bangladesh” on April 01, 2024, at a Hotel in Dhaka. The event brought together key stakeholders from government, development organizations, private sector, and academia to explore strategies for nurturing a caring economy that empowers both paid and unpaid care workers and fuels economic growth.
“The care economy, encompassing both paid and unpaid work that supports the well-being of individuals across all life stages, is critical for fostering resilient and inclusive societies,” said Nusrat Aman, CEO of AYAT Education, who moderated the discussion. “In Bangladesh, as elsewhere, women disproportionately shoulder the weight of care work. This roundtable aimed to identify solutions to address this challenge and unlock the immense potential of the care economy.”
The roundtable explored the global context of care work, highlighting the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) estimates that by 2030, 2.3 billion people worldwide will require care services.
In the keynote speech, Nasheeba Selim, Gender & Social Inclusion Specialist of ADB said “We have to look at the behavioral changes, preconceived stereotypical notions, gender gaps, and people of the minority groups in terms of these care economy professions.”
Shaheen Anam from Manusher Jonno Foundation said, “The most vulnerable women at the bottom of our homes, our domestic help are completely ignored, unpaid work should be monitored and included in the economy”. Furthermore, Farah Kabir from ActionAid said, “Women work 6 hours more than men, we need to redistribute work to balance these gaps in our GDP. We need to dignify the community workers. They should be counted while giving out national awards.”
“This growing demand underscores the urgency of investing in the care economy,” said Anne Drong, National Project Coordinator- Care Work, ILO. The roundtable discussion also revealed that the value of unpaid labor done by women in Bangladesh is worth about 39.52 percent of the GDP research conducted by SANEM.
The discussion focused on the specific challenges faced by women in Bangladesh, where limited access to infrastructure and public services amplifies the weight of care work. Traditional gender norms further contribute to this issue, with girls often prioritizing care work over education and economic opportunities.
“Inadequate care infrastructure was identified as a major barrier to women’s economic empowerment,” said Syeda Samara Mortada, Coordination and Partnerships Analyst at UN Women. Charles Whiteley, European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh said, “We need collective bargaining, and sustainable funding to work, and empathy for this roadmap.”
“If we don’t feel fulfilled from within, how would we care for others? We need a road map, to first understand the existing work, and do a situational analysis mapping to create an action plan and we can all join this initiative for the care economy through an existing vitalising body.” said Chief Guest Dr. Dipu Moni, MP, Honorable Minister of Social Welfare.
Representatives from British High Commission Dhaka, Australian High Commission, CARE Bangladesh, Swisscontact, ActionAid Bangladesh, Manusher Jonno Foundation, the Asia Foundation, Pathfinder International, mPower Social., AYAT Care, Bolipara Nari Kalyan Somity (BNKS), and Southeast University discussed effective strategies for promoting investment and policy reforms in the care economy.
