Investing in the care economy: a primer for gender-smart investors
November 2022
In order to amplify the importance of the care economy, provide investors with an understanding, raise awareness and spotlight actionable roadmaps, the GenderSmart & 2X Collaborative Care Economy Working Group 16 commissioned two briefs. This first brief is a primer on what the care economy spans, what different business types are emerging and the breadth of the sector to set up the foundation for investing in the care economy.
It is targeted towards gender-smart investors, seeking to gain foundational knowledge on the care economy. It seeks to answer fundamental questions: What is it? How is investing in the care economy a lever for gender equality? Why should investors pay attention to it? What care businesses are attracting investment? And, what are the obstacles to greater engagement facing both care businesses and investors?
These primers are not exhaustive, but provide a picture of the current state of this quickly evolving field. Also note, throughout the two briefs the authors refer to women, however, acknowledge the importance of an intersectional gender analysis (i.e. women from different backgrounds, thinking about diversity across race, ethnicity, migrant status, income, age, sexual orientation etc). These dynamics can further impact access, affordability and impact.
