A five-day interactive training delivered by the ILO Türkiye Office and International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) concluded in Ankara, marking an important effort in the country's journey towards a stronger, more inclusive care economy. The training was organized on 16-20 June in Ankara within the framework of the United Nations Joint Programme on Transformative Growth of the Care Economy in Türkiye, financed by the Joint SDG Fund.
The training brought together 40 dedicated participants representing tripartite constituents, UN agencies, and partner organizations, providing a platform for cross-sector dialogue, policy reflection, and capacity-building. Participants explored the following key themes: "Framing the Care Economy: Why Care Matters, the 5R Framework in Action: Decent Work in the Care Economy, Tools to Promote Decent Work and Care-Friendly Workplaces, Investing in the Care Economy: The Economic Case and Policy Workshop: Drafting a Roadmap to Transform the Care Economy in Türkiye".
"As the ILO, we recognize that the care economy is not a peripheral topic-it is central to our future. We must no longer treat care work as a private matter. It is a public good. Let this training not only build knowledge but strengthen resolve. The road to inclusive, quality care systems begin with recognizing care work for what it truly is-essential work-and ensuring that those who deliver it are not left behind", the Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye Yasser Hassan emphasized in his opening speech.
Interactive sessions combined global insights with national realities, highlighting good practices in care work, policy instruments to recognize and value unpaid care, and strategies for improving working conditions in paid care sectors.
Trainers Maud Ritz, Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at the ITC-ILO and İpek İlkkaracan, Professor of Economics at the Istanbul Technical University underlined the importance of empowering participants to become agents of change to develop effective and inclusive policies on care economy.
© ILO / Kıvanç Özvardar Bahar
Voices from the training
"It's been few days I came back from Geneva 113th International Labour Conference where I took part in the Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards. I valued this experience a lot and hope to be able to serve for advancing the care economy in the future in a similar policy making platform with the outcomes of this great training", commented Bilgen Çelen, European Union Expert at the General Directorate of Foreign Relations and European Union of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
"Care economy is a critical but relatively new area in Türkiye. The examples from different countries were striking, our trainers were adept. We will use what we learned at this training for shaping a comprehensive and systematic plan on care economy", said Keziban Karçkay, Expert of Family and Social Services at the Ministry of Family and Social Services.
"We experienced a real social dialogue platform here as we are together with representatives from different institutions and views. It is very valuable to be involved in this interactive working environment in this respect" shared her experience, Fatma Zengin, Deputy Secretary General of HAK-İŞ Trade Union Confederation.
"Stakeholders of care economy are 40 per cent at the big cities but 60 percent in the field, relatively smaller cities. I believe the outcomes of this training can change policies, on the other hand policies start to be implemented, adjust structures and touch lives by the local authorities. We are here to make this linkage stronger", said Didem Musapaşaoğlu, Urban Planner at the Unions of Municipalities of Türkiye.
"We will use the outcomes of this training to the full extent possible. It is an area we put utmost attention as DİSK" added Dilan Esen, communication expert of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Türkiye, DİSK.
"Seeing different examples from other countries like Spain and Uruguay was encouraging. We keep fighting for the rights of domestic workers over the last 24 years and we will do so for the future. It feels good to see that we may not be alone" has told Nuray Akkaya, IMECE Domestic Workers Syndicate representative.
© ILO / Kıvanç Özvardar Bahar
This training of the UN Joint Programme marks an important step in laying the groundwork for long-term, inclusive development, where care is recognized not only as essential social infrastructure but also as a driver of decent work, gender equality, and economic resilience.
The Joint Programme aims to foster Türkiye's care economy, promote inclusive growth, and accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
Under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and with full coordination support from the Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO), the ILO Office for Türkiye is leading the implementation of the programme, in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UN Women, UNICEF, and UNFPA provide technical expertise to ensure a holistic and rights-based approach. The Ministry of Family and Social Services serves as the primary governmental partner, joined by other public institutions, worker and employer organizations, and civil society organizations.
