Global development experts have renewed calls for stronger investments in the care economy, describing it as a critical engine for economic growth and a foundation for more resilient and prosperous societies.
They stressed that robust care systems improve health outcomes, strengthen social resilience, and promote gender equality, making the care economy essential for both developing and advanced nations seeking inclusive and sustainable progress.
The call was made on Monday during a high-level virtual dialogue co-hosted by Pathfinder International and Women in Global Health as part of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar.
Speakers urged governments to recognize care work as essential economic infrastructure, noting that investments in paid and unpaid care were fundamental to national development, labor productivity, and equitable access to social and health services.
Pathfinder International’s Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Innovation, Madiha Latif, said the dialogue aimed to shift global perceptions of care from a moral obligation to an economic imperative requiring sustained government support and policy reforms.
Latif said the discussion, themed “From Care Workers to Entrepreneurs,” showcased how strategic investments in care could strengthen health systems, promote gender equality, expand economic opportunities, and drive inclusive growth across various demographics and communities.
She added that prioritizing care work improved public health outcomes, reduced gender disparities, and built more resilient societies.
Latif also introduced Pathfinder’s social innovation initiative, Women in Co., which co-designs solutions directly with women and positions them as leaders rather than beneficiaries. She urged governments and innovators to partner in developing platforms that amplify women’s voices and expand their influence in social innovation.
Sonia Phalatse of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies highlighted how care investments bolster social and economic resilience, especially as climate change alters labour systems, gender roles, and community care structures.
She said investments in childcare, elder care, healthcare, and social protection deliver significant economic benefits, including job creation and increased labour-force participation among women, while boosting national productivity and social well-being.
Phalatse argued that care’s transformative potential extends beyond economic returns, calling for societies to rethink whose labor is valued and how responsibilities are shared. She said care should be recognized as vital infrastructure, comparable to transportation or technology.
She cautioned against framing care solely as “smart economics,” saying such an approach risks placing disproportionate responsibility on women without addressing underlying inequalities.
Phalatse outlined three pillars for a transformative care agenda: redistribution of responsibilities, recognition of care as skilled labor deserving fair compensation, and representation that ensures care providers meaningfully influence policymaking.
She urged governments to adopt fiscal, labor, and social protection policies that reduce unpaid care burdens and foster inclusive, caring, and sustainable economic systems. She added that public budgets must become gender-responsive, framing care investments as productive contributions that strengthen communities and support long-term national development.
Kenya’s Deputy Director General of Health, Dr Sultani Matendechero, underscored the undervalued but indispensable role of care work, calling it a powerful lever for economic transformation and a key driver of universal health coverage.
He said Kenya is institutionalizing care investments through its Community Health Strategy, which has transitioned more than 100,000 community health workers into paid community health promoters providing essential preventive services at household level.
Matendechero said the country views care work as economic infrastructure, noting that every shilling invested in preventive care saves future costs that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation.
He also commended initiatives such as Women in Co. for helping women entrepreneurs distribute health and wellness products, turning care work into income-generating opportunities that advance women’s economic empowerment at the community level.
According to him, care work should be treated as a strategic economic investment essential for inclusive growth, human capital development, and elevating women from “invisible laborers to visible leaders” in society.
The dialogue concluded with a call for governments, donors, and innovators to strengthen the care economy through fair compensation, inclusive participation, gender-responsive budgeting, and sustained support for women-led care solutions.
Participants agreed that when women are adequately supported and compensated for their care contributions, communities experience reduced poverty, improved social well-being, and faster national development driven by resilient care systems.
