LocationsOpening Remarks by Ms Beate Trankmann at the Care Economy Technical Consultation Workshop
June 1, 2023
Ms. Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of UNDP China delivered remarks at the Care Economy Technical Consultation Workshop
尊敬的各位来宾，我很高兴代表UNDP欢迎大家参加此次活动.
(Dear guests and participants, it is my pleasure to welcome you to today’s workshop)
Care work has long been acknowledged as a vital aspect of a functioning society.
Confucius recognized this by describing an ideal world as: 老有所养，幼有所教，贫有所依，难有所助，鳏寡孤独废疾 者皆有所养 (lǎo yǒu suǒ yǎng，yòu yǒu suǒ jiào ，pín yǒu suǒ yī ， nán yǒu suǒ zhù ， guān guǎ gū dú fèi jí zhě jiē yǒu suǒ yǎng - One where the elderly can be taken care of, the young can be educated, the poor can be supported, and the widowed, lonely, disabled and sick can all be helped).
Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the profound significance of care work. Without care workers, our societies simply cannot function effectively.
Unfortunately, much of this burden currently falls on households, particularly women. As demand for care services continues to rise, this unsustainable model faces increasing pressure.
Women continue to bear the brunt of care work worldwide. In China, women devote an average of 2.5 times more time to unpaid care work than men. When paid care services are lacking, women must stretch themselves to fill the gaps, hindering their economic empowerment and perpetuating gender stereotypes.
Shrinking household sizes, driven by mobility, higher costs, and young people's preference for independence, are also straining traditional patterns of unpaid female care work.
On the demand side, aging populations resulting from longer life expectancies and declining birth rates will require increased provision of affordable quality care services. For example, by 2035, China will have over 400 million people aged 60 and above - 20% of the population.
Yet, amid the care crisis that our aging societies are increasingly facing everywhere, there are also opportunities.
The demand for paid care is surging, making it a $648 billion sector in the United States alone. This surpasses the size of the American pharmaceutical industry.
Formalizing the care economy can create millions of decent employment opportunities that support the care of children and the elderly. The ILO estimates the value of unpaid care is currently approximately US$11 trillion or 9% of global GDP, while the World Economic Forum found that 40% of all job opportunities in emerging professions are arising in the care sector.
Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the profound significance of care work. Without care workers, our societies simply cannot function effectively.Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative, UNDP China
To achieve our ambition of providing affordable and quality care, we must expand care infrastructure and services.
Recently, our sister agency UN Women published research on the gendered distribution and perceptions of unpaid care work in China. The study calls for public and private sectors to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work, and reward, and represent paid care work.
In addition, greater public and private investment in the care economy is crucial.
To this end, UNDP is conducting a study to map out the investment gaps for scaling up the care economy in China. By employing the methodology from our ongoing SDG Investors Maps series, we aim to identify policy and development needs, business models, and potential financial risks associated with investing in the care economy.
The aim is to attract more resources towards the care sector, without which we cannot hope to realise the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals to build an inclusive and sustainable society that leaves no one behind.
Today, our research team will present the initial findings of the study to solicit your valuable comments and feedback.
In closing, let me extend a special thank-you to UNFPA for co-organizing this event with us. My gratitude also goes to all of you for joining. We very much look forward to your contributions to the discussion!
让我们一起共同努力推动照护经济的发展，让所有人都能得到照护，实现最大的潜能！(Together, let’s work towards a world where the Care Economy is not only recognized, but nurtured to its fullest potential.)
Xie xie.