The care economy encompasses paid and unpaid activities related to childcare, eldercare, and domestic work. Globally, women perform approximately three times more unpaid care work than men, with this disparity rising to 11–12 times in developing economies. This gender gap significantly impacts women’s labour force participation, with OECD estimates showing that a two-hour increase in women’s unpaid work correlates with a 10% decrease in female workforce participation.

Yet, recognising its employment potential of creating 300 million jobs by 2035, many countries from the Global South are bringing policy frameworks to incentivise investments in the care economy. According to World Bank data, out of 130 emerging economies, 48 have legal provisions for government-supported childcare centres and 27 require employers to provide childcare facilities.

Several countries showcase diverse approaches to building inclusive care systems. Argentina introduced the Universal Child Benefit in 2009 and established an Inter-Ministerial Committee for Care Policies. Vietnam has developed a comprehensive childcare system, with three types of childcare facilities. India has devised a national care economy strategy and is targeting 17 000 publicly funded crèches by 2026. South Africa is implementing public–private partnerships in elderly care.

Studying a range of solutions for developing care economy systems in the Global South, this policy brief proposes a five-pillar framework for strengthening care economies across G20 countries: implementing gender-neutral parental leave policies, developing targeted subsidy programmes, investing in care facilities, creating standardised training programmes for care workers, and establishing quality assurance mechanisms. Success requires participatory policymaking, cross-sectoral collaboration, and adequate budgetary resources.

As demographics and family structures evolve globally, investing in care economies becomes both a social justice issue and an economic necessity. The Global South’s innovative approaches offer valuable lessons to foster South–South cooperation and create sustainable, equitable care systems worldwide.