The event brought together agencies, organisations, experts and development partners to share experiences, identify key policy issues and propose priorities for Viet Nam. The discussions also fed into preparations for the 2027 APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha said the issue isn't new but now demands a more comprehensive, systematic approach given rapid changes in Viet Nam and across the Asia-Pacific. The care economy touches not only social welfare and gender equality but also the labour market, productivity, workforce quality, competitiveness and the economy's ability to adapt to long-term demographic shifts.
According to her, Viet Nam has built a relatively comprehensive legal and policy framework to underpin the sector, including the Labour Code, the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Population and the National Strategy on Gender Equality for 2021-2030. Together, they set goals and measures to narrow gender gaps and give women and men equal opportunities to benefit across a range of areas.
Cutting and redistributing unpaid care work is a key priority. The strategy targets reducing women's time on housework and family care to 1.7 times men's by 2025 and 1.4 times by 2030. The ratio has fallen to 1.68, meeting the 2025 goal. Unpaid work still holds back women's employment and economic advancement, however, and weighs on labour productivity and long-term workforce quality.
The pressure is building as Viet Nam's population ages, with the country projected to enter an aged population phase in 2034. Smaller households, falling fertility and rising labour migration are lifting demand for care, while traditional models still lean heavily on families and women.
Ha said the Vietnamese Party and State have adopted policies to build a modern social welfare system, expand social services and healthcare, and adapt to population aging, digital transformation, green transition and shifts in employment structure. That provides a base for a national care economy strategy spanning health care, rehabilitation, social work, and family-and community-based care.
A comprehensive, inclusive care economy will open more avenues for women to contribute to economic growth, she said.
Caroline Nyamayemombe, UN Women Country Representative in Viet Nam, said care should be treated as an essential part of economic infrastructure rather than primarily a social concern.
Investing in accessible, affordable, quality care services can create stable jobs, advance gender equality and build a stronger and more sustainable economy, she said.
Population aging, changing family structures, migration and rising demand for elder care across the Asia-Pacific make it necessary to close the gender gap in unpaid care work while improving women's skills, economic empowerment and access to the labour market.
Building care systems also requires coordination among public policy, private sector investment and the practical experience of civil society groups, workers, women, academics and communities.
APEC 2027 gives Viet Nam a chance to push a regional agenda on women's economic empowerment by tying the care economy to the green and digital economies and demographic change, she said.
UN Women is ready to work with the ministry and partners on evidence, policies, investment and practical initiatives to advance women's economic empowerment and develop the care economy, she said.
Participants discussed the need to accelerate the care economy amid population aging, experience and policies across the Asia-Pacific, and priorities for APEC and regional cooperation in the sector. An effective care system requires shared responsibility and investment from governments, businesses, communities and families, through care services, family-friendly workplaces, social protection, the growth of care enterprises and innovation, they said.
