Asia-Pacific Care Economy Forum Fuels Collaboration and Investment in the Care Sector
UN Women, AVPN, and Kiddocare host the Asia-Pacific Care Economy
Date:
[Press release]
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The Asia-Pacific Inclusive Care Economy Forum took place on 22-23 June 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, organized by UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, Asia Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), a top social investor network in the region, and Kiddocare, an on-demand babysitting platform providing solutions in the care economy.
The Forum took place as an official side event to the AVPN Global Conference 2023 and brought together entrepreneurs, investors, governments, and other stakeholders to explore pathways for effective investment in care economy to advance women's economic empowerment. The Forum showcased innovative care delivery models and highlighted their impact and potential.
UN Women has championed gender-responsive and inclusive care entrepreneurship across the region. In 2021, UN Women launched the first-ever Care Accelerator (CA) in Asia and the Pacific to support leading startups in the care sector. Katja Freiwald, Lead, Women’s Economic Empowerment and Migration, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, highlighted the important link between women’s economic empowerment and investments in the care economy. “Today, we're excited to announce the CA 2.0 cohort. The CA is a 10-month long programme that brings together diverse entrepreneurs with investors and other ecosystem players to strengthen their solutions for accessible, affordable, and qualitative care.”
Commenting on the significance of the Forum, Patricia Mathias, Director, AVPN Gender Platform, stated the Forum was “a critical milestone in our collective journey towards building a just and compassionate society. By convening diverse stakeholders, we aim to inspire bold actions and amplify the voices of those working tirelessly in the care sector. Through collaboration and innovation, we can create sustainable models that recognize, support, and empower caregivers while redefining the care economy for the benefit of all.”
"We aim to foster stronger ties among all key players in the care sector, facilitating collaboration and innovation that will lead to a more diversified investment landscape. Through our efforts in professionalising care workers, we recognize their crucial role and impact on society. This Forum has been instrumental in bringing the APAC region together, fostering shared knowledge and driving collective action. Together, we can build an inclusive care economy that uplifts communities, supports economic growth, and advances the wellbeing of all," said the CEO and Founder of Kiddocare, Nadira Yusoff.
In addition to showcasing care delivery models, the Forum included plenary and breakout sessions to foster collaboration and networking among different stakeholders. It sensitized investors to the benefits of gender-lens investing in the care economy and helped raise awareness about this vital sector.
Participants in the Forum agreed to establish an Asia-Pacific care stakeholder community, to support the Global Alliance for Care movement. Recommendations from the Forum will be presented at the global Women Deliver Conference in July 2023, and will be presented to the working groups of the G20.
For more information about the Forum and its outcomes please visit: https://avpn.asia/event/asia-pacific-care-economy-forum
Contacts
Zoya Khanday
Consultant Communications, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
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Susie Lim-Kannan
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at AVPN
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Adila Kamal
Senior Communications and Community Engagement at Kiddocare
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Ian Firdaus
Junior Communications and Community Engagement at Kiddocare
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About UN Women
UN Women is a global champion for gender equality, working to develop and uphold standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl can exercise her human rights and live up to her full potential. UN Women is a trusted partner of advocates and decision-makers from all walks of life, and it is a leader in the effort to achieve gender equality. For more information, visit http://unwomen.org/en
About AVPN
Asia Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) is the largest network of social investors in Asia, comprising over 600 diverse members across 33 markets. Its mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Asia by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN connects, learns, acts, and leads across key pillars and improves the effectiveness of capital deployed; bringing to bear the local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights.
For more information about AVPN, please visit its website and read the latest Annual Review 2021/22.
Kiddocare is a platform that connects parents to trusted and experienced babysitters based on their preferred time and location (on-demand basis). Founded in 2018, it aimed to support working parents by connecting them with babysitters. Kiddocare also aimed to empower women pursuing childcare work and career opportunities.
Safety, reliability and professionalism are core values that serve as a foundation of Kiddocare’s services to support parents. Kiddocare uses technology to connect parents with Kiddocarers (babysitters), all of whom have passed a face-to-face interview and a comprehensive background check, including criminal records. All Kiddocarers have been trained by childcare experts.
For more information, please visit www.kiddocare.com.my. Fb: Kiddocare Ig: @kiddocaremy