Affordable, quality childcare is essential for women's employment, national conference in Dhaka hears

Affordable, reliable and quality childcare can help women enter working life and stay in employment. It also creates the opportunity for children to grow up healthy.

Speakers said this at the opening ceremony of the 'National Childcare Conference 2026' held at the Bangla Academy in the capital on Saturday. They also said childcare needs greater recognition as a sector, and collective efforts are needed to ensure quality care for every child.

On the first day of the two-day conference, discussions focused on the role of childcare in women's employment and child development. Synergos Bangladesh, the BRAC Institute of Educational Development (BIED), BRAC and the World Bank Group jointly organised the conference.

The chief guest at the opening ceremony was Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain. Also present were World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Jean Pesme, BRAC Deputy Executive Director Arinjay Dhar, BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Syed Farhat Anwar, BIED Executive Director Iram Mariam and Synergos Bangladesh Country Director Esha Hossain.

Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain said childcare is a major issue at present. Because of uncertainty over who will look after their children, many women cannot go to work or drop out of the workplace. The state has the greatest responsibility in this area, he said.

The minister said the existing Child Day Care Centre Act has some complications. Necessary additions and amendments will be made to the law after discussions with the relevant stakeholders, he said.

World Bank Division Director Jean Pesme said Bangladesh needs to create more employment and raise productivity to achieve its ambitions, and women must be placed at the centre to make better use of the country's human resources. Affordable and quality childcare helps women join work and creates employment, while also helping children get a good start in life, he said.

BRAC Deputy Executive Director Arinjay Dhar said quality childcare is an extremely important part of social and economic infrastructure. If women have to choose between caring for their children and work, an inclusive and productive economy cannot be built, he said, adding that policy guidance exists and effective implementation through collective effort is now essential.

The organisers said recognising childcare as a sector means recognising the value of women's paid and unpaid care work, recognising the contribution of caregivers and other stakeholders, and acknowledging every child's right to quality care.

Drawing on global research, the conference set out three possible benefits of childcare: supporting women's economic participation, building the next generation into strong human resources, and contributing to inclusive economic growth. Employers can also benefit, the discussions noted.

Speakers said the Child Day Care Centre Act, 2021 has created a legal basis for childcare. However, challenges remain in implementation, regulation, financing, workforce development, quality assurance and service delivery. Childcare services are currently limited in scope and are expensive for many low-income families.

Recent World Bank Group research has found that families are more interested in childcare that is affordable, nearby, trustworthy and supportive of children's development.

Workshops and panel discussions were held on the first day of the conference. Held under the theme 'United for Childcare', the event was attended by policymakers, employers, childcare providers and entrepreneurs, development partners, researchers and civil society representatives.