Date:
[Press release]
Regional exchange on Caring Cities and new guidance on using data to transform care systems strengthen action across Asia and the Pacific
Seoul, Republic of Korea — Governments, cities and partners from across Asia and the Pacific are strengthening efforts to transform care systems and promote women's economic empowerment. The newly launched UN Women guidance note, Connecting data, transforming care. A whole-of-society approach to transforming care systems, provides a practical framework for bringing together data, institutions and stakeholders to advance gender-responsive care systems.
The launch formed part of a two-day gathering held on 17 and 18 September under UN Women’s TransformCare Investment Initiative. It brought together some 80 government representatives, municipal leaders, civil society organizations, private sector actors and development partners from more than 10 countries. Participants reiterated the importance of coordination between national and local governments, with municipalities playing a particularly important role in ensuring that care services, infrastructure and public spaces are accessible and inclusive and support women's economic participation.
The urgency of this work is underscored by the scale of the region's care needs. Demand for care is projected to rise sharply across Asia and the Pacific, where the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to double to nearly 900 million by 2050. Cities are at the forefront of this demographic shift, making investment in care services and support for the most in need increasingly urgent.
“In the face of major social changes, including the climate crisis, rapid urbanization and population ageing, governments and the international community must respond responsibly to questions about how care should be provided and who should bear responsibility for it,” said Jung Goo-chang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea.
Yun Jeong Hwang, Director of the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, highlighted the implications for women’s economic participation: “Rising care demands put us at risk of adding to women’s workload or seeing women drop out of the workforce altogether.”
A new training of trainers’ toolkit on Caring Cities was piloted to equip local public officials and political leaders with tools to develop, implement and assess care-responsive policies and practices. The toolkit is being developed by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) under the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership initiative, led by UN Women, building on the GOLD VII research process on the Economies of Equality and Care.
“Cities are where care becomes real for people. Local governments play a vital role in ensuring that care services, infrastructure and public spaces respond to the needs of diverse communities. Co-creating policy with affected stakeholders is an increasingly effective and necessary method to achieve this,” said Jae-Bok Chang, Chief Executive Officer of CityNet.
The guidance note provides policymakers and other stakeholders with practical guidance on using data more effectively to inform care policies and investments. By strengthening the availability and use of evidence, it can help countries identify care needs and inform approaches to transforming care systems.
Discussions at the event reinforced the importance of connecting national policy with local implementation and linking data and evidence with financing and investment. These efforts contribute to a growing regional movement to build Caring Cities and strengthen national care systems that enable women to participate fully in economic, social and public life.
The convening was organized by the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre and the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in partnership with UCLG, CityNet and Global Alliance for Care, with support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea. It was held in collaboration with the WYDE programme, funded by the European Union, with additional support from the Visa Foundation.
Connecting data, Transforming care
A Whole-of-Society Approach to Transforming Care Systems
The publication is grounded in the 5Rs framework—Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward and Represent. It shows how governments and partners can connect diverse data sources, institutions and stakeholders to better understand care needs, address inequalities and translate evidence into more inclusive policies, services and investments across Asia and the Pacific.
About UN Women
UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are. The event was organized as part of UN Women’s TransformCare Investment Initiative Asia-Pacific (TCII-AP), a regional initiative that seeks to accelerate public and private investment and multi-partner collaboration to strengthen resilient care systems across Asia and the Pacific. Through TCII-AP, UN Women works with governments, women’s organizations, the private sector, academia and other partners to advance care systems as a foundation for women’s economic rights and participation, as well as caring societies, and inclusive and sustainable economies.
About the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre
The UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre was established in the Republic of Korea in 2022 in partnership with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The Centre was founded with a shared mandate to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across Asia and the Pacific. Located in Seoul, the Centre contributes to capacity development, strategic partnerships, and knowledge exchange of best practices and lessons learned. It places particular emphasis on three priority areas: transforming care systems, addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and strengthening regional and global multistakeholder partnerships for gender equality. Between 2022 and 2025, more than 2,485 individuals benefited from the Centre’s activities, while 2,391 participants strengthened their knowledge and skills.
About UCLG
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is the world’s largest organization of local and regional governments and their associations, representing and advocating for their interests on the global stage. Headquartered in Barcelona and present across all world regions, UCLG brings together cities, metropolitan and regional governments, and national and subnational associations to promote democratic local self-government, strengthen cooperation among territories, and amplify the collective voice of local and regional governments in international decision-making. Through advocacy, policy dialogue, knowledge-sharing and decentralized cooperation, UCLG works to ensure that local and regional governments are recognized as essential partners in addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development that leaves no one and no place behind.
About CityNet
CityNet (the Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to improving urban sustainability and addressing common urban challenges across Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1987 with 26 founding members, CityNet has grown into a network of more than 155 cities, local governments and partner organizations committed to fostering sustainable and inclusive urban development.
Headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, CityNet connects local governments and a wide range of urban stakeholders to facilitate knowledge-exchange, capacity-building and city-to-city cooperation. Its activities are organized around key thematic areas, including disaster resilience, sustainable development and climate action, with the aim of providing practical solutions to the challenges faced by cities across the region.
Recognized for its contribution to international urban cooperation, CityNet was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1995. In 2002, it received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award in recognition of its role in promoting inter-city cooperation and strengthening partnerships among local governments, NGOs and development agencies throughout Asia.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Jaeeun Lee
External Relations Analyst
UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre
E: [ Click to reveal ]