Life Circle Participates in TransformCare Investment Initiative Asia Pacific (TCII AP) to Strengthen India’s Care Economy
Introduction
Life Circle is honoured to have participated in the TransformCare Investment Initiative Asia Pacific (TCII AP) workshop—an influential platform jointly convened by UN Women India and the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, Republic of Korea, with support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea and the European Union.
This initiative forms part of the global TransformCare movement, which aims to accelerate public and private investments, multi stakeholder partnerships, and sustainable care systems that strengthen women’s economic empowerment.
According to the UN Women Concept Note, the Technical Assistance Facility is embedded within a multi country learning and capacity building series that helps governments, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners design viable care financing strategies.
TransformCare APAC: Financing the Care Economy & Empowering Women
The two day program brought together delegates from across India and several Asia Pacific countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, and Bhutan. The central focus was to explore sustainable financing models to strengthen the care economy—one that can enable millions of women to participate fully in the workforce while ensuring high quality care for seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
Why a Strong Care Economy Matters
Key discussions highlighted that:
- Unmet care needs deepen cycles of poverty and social exclusion.
- Women globally—and in India—bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care work.
- In India, women perform 7 times more unpaid caregiving compared to men.
- Strengthening the care sector can create meaningful jobs, especially for women
Participants emphasised the importance of the 5Rs of Care (Recognise, Reduce, Redistribute, Represent, Reward) and introduced a critical 6th R: Resourcing, underscoring the need for financial commitments to support care infrastructure and services.
Interactive Group Sessions & Cross Country Learning
Delegates were divided into multi country sub groups to study:
- Financing models
- Innovations in care infrastructure
- Ways to enhance the professional caregiving workforce
- Policies to support family caregivers
- Mechanisms to attract public and private investors
This format encouraged cross country insights, comparative learning, and thought provoking discussions on how different nations are approaching care system development.
Government of India & State Initiatives to Strengthen the Care Sector
Representatives from the Government of India and various states presented national programs addressing care work, including:
- Saksham Anganwadi
- Mission Shakti
- National Time Use Survey
- e Shram portal
A standout session was the Government of Kerala’s “Extreme Poverty Free” mission, which places women’s challenges at the centre of policy making—a model widely appreciated for its impact.
Deep Dive Into Financing & Policy Approaches
Several technical sessions provided participants with frameworks to design and finance robust care systems. Key themes included:
- Gender responsive budgeting
- Blended financing for care infrastructure
- Finance taxonomies and their influence on gender equity
- Policy simulations to project care needs, investments, and long term ROI
- The “Care Diamond” model—highlighting the shared responsibility between family, state, market, and community
These frameworks help nations map their current care ecosystem and plan sustainable growth.
Closing Ceremony: International Day of Care & Launch of Care and Climate Entrepreneurship Accelerator
The workshop concluded with the celebration of the International Day of Care and the launch of the Care and Climate Entrepreneurship Accelerator, which aims to support innovations at the intersection of caregiving and climate resilience.
Life Circle’s Commitment to Building a Strong Care Workforce in India
As one of India’s leading home care and caregiver workforce organisations, Life Circle believes that expanding the care economy is essential for:
- Creating dignified jobs for women
- Providing reliable caregiving support for families
- Improving health outcomes for seniors
- Reducing the unpaid care burden on women
- Building a compassionate, gender equal society
Our participation in TCII AP strengthens our commitment to professionalising caregiving, investing in training, and advocating for policies that uplift caregivers across India.
