The International Day of Care and Support GIVING RECOGNITION TO UNPAID CARE WORK

The report also highlights barriers to accessing reliable care services, such as day care services, and examines perceptions of gender and the influence of gender norms on the distribution of care work within households, the state, and the broader economy

- By Manjula D. Phillips

The Asia Foundation and Women and Media Collective, with support from Global Affairs Canada, hosted the second National Convening on Recognising Unpaid Care Work in Sri Lanka last week at Waters Edge, Battaramulla.

Parallel to celebrating International Day of Care and Support, the event centered on the theme: “Rethinking Unpaid Care: Shifting from Women’s Work to Collective Responsibility”.

The first National Convening on Recognising Unpaid Care Work in Sri Lanka was held in July last year, during which then Member of Parliament and now Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, highlighted the need for a national policy of recognition on unpaid care work.

Briefing at the event Kiril Iordanov, Counsellor and Head of Cooperation, High Commission of Canada to Sri Lanka and the Maldives urged:

“Through strategic partnerships and targeted investments, Canada continues to promote inclusive growth, equitable participation, and social systems that value and support carework reaffirming its role as a global leader in building a fairer and more just world for all.”