Govt preparing state-wise list of caregivers

New Delhi: The Centre is building a database of state-based list of caregivers, especially of women caregivers. The move, officials said, is aimed at increasing

New Delhi: The Centre is building a database of state-based list of caregivers, especially of women caregivers. The move, officials said, is aimed at increasing the participation of women in the workforce from the current 17.5%, and also increase the number of skilled caregivers, especially in the field of geriatic care.

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The decision was taken in a meeting held last week of the consultative parliamentary committee attached to the Union ministry of women and child development (WCD) to discuss skilling in women, said people familiar with the development.

As per the minutes of the meeting, reviewed by HT, it was decided that the skill development ministry will do a study on state-wise availability and requirements in geriatic care, early childhood education and care, social work, domestic work and other skills.

A portal for the database will be built by the ministry which will have data of certified skilled people, their potential employers and will be linked to financial institutions and job sites and government employment exchanges.

To this end, the National Skill Development Corporation has been tasked with preparing a training module in emergency healthcare and early childhood care, which will be funded by the WCD ministry.

Sona Mitra, principal economist at the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE) said the idea of a database, while welcome, must come along with a national plan and a roadmap. ” …while thinking of women as a natural fit for caregiving follows a traditional division of labour and is somewhat of a stereotyping of women’s work, it is important to acknowledge that the formalising of the sector will benefit unregulated women caregivers,” said Mitra.