Shaping the Future of Care: Regional Leaders Unite for Policy and Action

[Media advisory]

We are pleased to invite members of the media to cover the high-level regional dialogue, "Towards a Regional Roadmap for the Care Economy in the Arab Region." The event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Development of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and is jointly organized by the Arab Women Organization, the UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States, and the Jordanian National Commission for Women.

The opening session of the dialogue will bring together high-level officials and key partners to discuss major developments in the care economy across the Arab region. The event will provide valuable insights from leading experts and policymakers on the importance of investing in care systems to drive economic growth and women's empowerment.

Background

The conference aims to build on ongoing global and regional efforts to position the care economy as a public good, addressing gender inequalities in paid and unpaid care work and promoting decent work conditions in the care sector. The discussions in Amman will focus on laying the groundwork for a regional roadmap for the care economy, setting priorities for policy development, legal frameworks, and financial investments.

The dialogue will take place over nine working sessions on February 18–19, 2025. 

Objectives

• Define joint actions towards the development of a regional roadmap for the care economy in the Arab region.
• Present global and regional evidence on laws, policies, services, and best practices.
• Discussing strategies to reduce gender disparities in the care economy.
• Explore sustainable financing mechanisms for care economy investments.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange among government representatives, UN agencies, experts, and stakeholders.

Key Participants

The dialogue will bring together ministers of women’s affairs and social development, along with heads of national women’s mechanisms from several Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, and Yemen. It will also feature officials and experts from Morocco, Oman, and Sudan, as well as international experts and representatives from UN agencies. The dialogue will bring together around 80 to 90 participants, including representatives from governments, public institutions, ministries of labor and finance, and heads of parliamentary committees on women’s affairs in the Arab region. It will also feature participants from the private sector and labor organizations from both the Arab region and beyond.