DILI, 06 November 2025 (TATOLI) – The Secretary of State for Equality (SEI), in collaboration with ESCAP and UN Women, has launched a three-day National Consultation on Valuing and Investing in the Care Economy to strengthen national action on care, gender equality, and sustainable development.
The event convened participants representing ministries, civil society organizations, development partners, and academia. Together, they explored how to better recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work, and how to invest in quality care services and infrastructure that support both women and men, children, and older persons.
Speaking at the opening session, Elvina Sousa Carvalho, Secretary of State for Equality, emphasized that care must be recognized as central to both social and economic progress. “Care is at the heart of our society and economy. Investing in care is not only a moral imperative, but a smart development strategy to ensure our nation can function properly,” she said.
Cai Cai, Chief of the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Section at ESCAP, reaffirmed the regional body’s partnership with Timor-Leste and the country’s growing leadership across Asia and the Pacific. “We are gathered with a shared understanding that care is foundational to our societies, yet too often remains invisible and undervalued,” she said. “Valuing and investing in care is not only about fairness — it is fundamental to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economies.”
Meanwhile, Patrizia DiGiovanni, UNICEF Representative in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and UN Resident Coordinator ad interim, reaffirmed that “this effort will require collaboration across all sectors — among line ministries, development agencies, civil society, and local communities. It will require a comprehensive approach to the challenges at hand.” She added that for the United Nations Country Team, this is a shared priority: “Many UN agencies stand ready to work alongside national institutions, civil society, and development partners to ensure that care is recognized, reduced, redistributed, rewarded, and represented.”
Continuing the same momentum, Rogério Araújo Mendonça, Secretary of State for Professional Training and Employment, stated that SEFOPE is investing in empowering rural women through vocational training to improve their access to employment and reduce the burden of care work. SEFOPE is currently advancing the process of approving domestic law — a law that will formalize domestic care work and protect the rights of domestic workers.
The consultation marked the official launch of the ESCAP–Government of Timor-Leste partnership on the care economy and the joint national case study developed with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). Using ESCAP’s Model Framework for Policy Action on the Care Economy, participants identified priority actions across four pillars: care infrastructure, care-related social protection, care services, and employment-related care policies.
The discussions will inform the forthcoming National Action Plan on Care, expected in 2026, aligning with the Maubisse Declaration and Timor-Leste’s National Development Plan. The event also strengthened inter-ministerial coordination through the Joint Working Group on Gender and Infrastructure, co-led by SEI and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), which will pilot a national gender marker for care-responsive public investments.
Field visits to the Pateo Women Weavers Association and Fokupers Shelters showcased local innovations that combine community care, women’s livelihoods, and social inclusion, illustrating how national policy can be grounded in community experience.
The National Consultation highlighted Timor-Leste’s strong political will and forward-looking vision to build an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable care system, contributing to the country’s commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ASEAN’s emerging regional work plan on the care economy.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
