Concepts, Perspectives, and Approaches to Care Policies in Latin America in Practice: Lessons from the Collaborative Research-Action Fund for Innovations in Public Policies on the Care Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Concepts, Perspectives, and Approaches to Care Policies in Latin America in Practice: Lessons from the Collaborative Research-Action Fund for Innovations in Public Policies on the Care Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean was prepared by the Technical Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Care following the Peer Learning Workshop held at the Care Pavilion during the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (Mexico City, August 11, 2025).

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are Care Economies in Context project partners. CGSP is a member of the Global Alliance for Care.

Citation

Global Alliance for Care. Concepts, Perspectives, and Approaches to Care Policies in Latin America in Practice: Lessons from the Collaborative Research-Action Fund for Innovations in Public Policies on the Care Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean. 27 Feb. 2026. https://globalallianceforcare.org/en/community/resources/1372-global-resource-569.html?view-obj

Abstract

The document systematizes the main lessons from an exchange among implementing partners of projects funded by the Collaborative Action-Research Fund for Innovations in Public Policies on the Care Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Fund, led by the Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Care and with the support of the Ford Foundation, aims to generate rigorous evidence on innovations in care policies and on the multiple strategies for transforming the social organization of care.

Drawing on collective reflection around the findings, challenges, and evidence generated by the ten projects implemented across eight countries in the region, the document offers:

• Reflections on conceptual approaches to care, cross-cutting perspectives, and key elements for the design and implementation of care policies.
• Key thematic lenses for the design of transformative public policies (gender equality, disability inclusion, decent work, community-based care, territorial approaches, etc.).
• Practical lessons on the role of different sectors (governments, academia, civil society, and grassroots groups) in advancing transformative care policies.
• Recommendations to promote comprehensive care policies and systems with adequate financing, institutional frameworks, and meaningful social participation.