Colombo, 29 October 2025 – The need to invest in Sri Lanka’s care economy has never been greater.
Sri Lanka has taken first steps to build a stronger, fairer care system that supports families, workers, and communities. With one in four Sri Lankans expected to be over the age of 60 by 2040, the demand for quality care services is growing rapidly. On one hand, women, who shoulder most of the unpaid care work, continue to face challenges in entering, remaining, and progressing in the workforce. On the other hand, it is important to recognize unpaid care work as a vital contribution to both the economy and society, even though it often goes unnoticed and undervalued. Investing in the care economy is now more urgent than ever, as it offers a powerful opportunity to improve social well-being, drive economic growth, and promote gender equality.
Following cabinet approval of the National Social Protection Strategy in September 2025, the Government, together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has started the development of a roadmap and a national action plan on care on 29th October 2025, marking the International Day of Care and Support.
The initiative focuses on both care providers and care recipients, ensuring that those who provide care have access to decent work and that those who receive care have access to quality, reliable and affordable services.
The Inter-Ministerial Social Care Working group co-chaired by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment and the Ministry of Labour, includes representatives from key line ministries such as Finance, Planning and Economic Development; Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education; Health and Mass Media; Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development; and Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.
The Deputy Minister of Labour, Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe conveyed the Government’s steadfast commitment to promoting decent work within the care sector. Mr. S. M. Piyatissa, secretary to the ministry, reaffirmed that the Ministry remains dedicated to establishing the right legal and policy frameworks to strengthen care infrastructure and to transform how care work is valued and supported.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Mrs. Tharangani Wickramasinghe, underscored the importance of recognizing both paid and unpaid care work, noting that with Sri Lanka’s changing demographic profile, care responsibilities will increasingly fall on women. She highlighted the need to ensure that high-quality care services are made affordable and accessible for all.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Joni Simpson, ILO Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, stated that the care economy is a cornerstone of social well-being and a driver of economic growth and gender equality and conveyed ILO commitment to support this effort. Guided by the ILO’s 5R Framework for Decent Care Work – Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent, this process, she said, would ensure that care work was recognized, rewarded, and supported through inclusive and sustainable policies.
The Working group will now move forward with an evidence-based approach and broad consultative process aligned with good practices to develop the plan, inviting inputs from tripartite constituents, ministries, social partners, care providers, and the public. The Roadmap and National Action Plan on Care are expected to be finalized and launched in 2026.
