The paper calls for a paradigm shift, treating care as a foundational social and economic infrastructure rather than private household responsibility.
About Care Economy (Or Purple Economy)
- It encompasses activities (paid or unpaid) essential for the well-being of children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
- GDP Contribution: Unpaid domestic and care work (largely by women), is valued at ~15–17% of India’s GDP.
Recommendations by EAC-PM
- Innovative Financing
- Parivar Seva Kosh/Family Care Fund: For community-driven care infrastructure and services.
- Carepreneur Fund: For concessional finance for entrepreneurs in the sector.
- LeveragePPPs: E.g. World Bank funded Tamil Nadu’s Women Employment and Safety Programme to provide childcare for working women.
- Care Workforce: Skill Gap assessment, standardised training and certifications etc.
- Policy Reforms
- Gender-neutral childcare leaves: Phased reforms from extending paternity leave to private sector to gender-balanced parental leave.
- Urban Planning Integration: Recognising care facilities as essential social infrastructure.
- Strengthening Maternity benefits: E.g. Sikkim’s monthly financial assistance for mothers in private sector.
- Others: Support formation of Care Cooperatives; Co-location of childcare within government schools; Quality Assurance Mechanisms etc.
Need for Development of a Formal Care Economy
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