Care Economy becomes strategic SAARC Priority

Kathmandu, May 15

The two-day ministerial dialogue, 'TransformCare South Asia: Transforming Care Systems for Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment in SAARC' that concluded in Kathmandu on Thursday, positioned the care economy, for the first time, as a strategic pillar for cooperation in the sub-region.

Member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are working towards a historic regional roadmap to transform care systems, aiming to unlock women’s economic potential and drive inclusive growth across South Asia, the organisers said.

The event was co-organised by UN Women and the SAARC Secretariat, with support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of South Korea.

"South Asia continues to have one of the lowest female labour force participation rates globally, with unpaid care responsibilities borne disproportionately by women and girls limiting their access to employment and leadership opportunities," the organisers said. Closing gender gaps in female labour force participation could increase South Asia’s GDP by up to 51 per cent.

Investing in the care economy can expand women’s labour force participation, while helping to realise women’s rights to education, rest, participation in public life and equal opportunities too often constrained by unequal care responsibilities, said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director.

UN Women research showed that investments in the care sector can generate two to three times more jobs than equivalent investments in sectors such as construction, while also enabling more women to enter and remain in the workforce.

Through the TransformCare Investment Initiative, UN Women offices across South Asia provide technical expertise, data-driven evidence and financing strategies to help SAARC countries turn these regional goals into national realities, read the statement.

A key output of the ministerial dialogue was the formulation of a zero-draft Action Plan for Transforming Care Systems in South Asia for SAARC countries.

Emphasising the need to transform care systems for women’s economic empowerment, Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, SAARC Secretary-General, said that the care economy is not a niche social issue, nor is it a peripheral concern for the benevolent. "It is an economic imperative, a demographic necessity, and above all, a moral calling. If we are serious about inclusive growth, we must be serious about care. The future of South Asia depends not only on how we grow, but on how we care for one another,” he said.

According to the organisers, positioning care as a common priority enables SAARC countries to leverage shared cross-country learning, align policy approaches, and scale solutions that benefit women and girls, particularly those most underserved.

Gunakar Bhatta, vice-chair of the National Planning Commission, said that it is time to move from promises to delivery.

Stating that Nepal’s engagement in this dialogue reflects our commitment to moving from care promises to care delivery, he said. "Investing in care services is not a cost, but a growth strategy that creates jobs, strengthens families, and accelerates inclusive development across South Asia.”

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 May 2026.