Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Senator Chad Blackman warned on Wednesday that with a looming demographic crisis of the country having nearly two dependents per working-age person by 2050, recognition of the care economy is vital to national development.
He told a high-level United Nations policy dialogue at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre that Barbados has set its sights on becoming a global frontrunner in gender equality and care economy innovation, framing caregiving as a cornerstone of its sustainable development strategy.
Senator Blackman said the declining population poses risks to both social services and foreign investment.
He said: “If you have a population that is not large, you as an investor, in your contemplation, look at the size of the population, and you ask yourself, ‘How can I get my return on investment?’”
The dialogue, framed around the “5 Rs”—recognise, reduce, redistribute, reward, and represent—focused on creating a framework for addressing both unpaid and paid care work. This approach seeks to ensure that work is equitably shared and fully integrated into national development strategies.
The event took place against the backdrop of Barbados’ pressing demographic challenges, including an ageing population and declining birth rates. Blackman painted a stark picture of the future.
“Over the next 30 years, the dependency ratio will grow to nearly two dependents per person of working age, with a higher presence of elderly dependents by the year 2050,” he warned.
UN Resident Coordinator Simon Springett. (RG)
The government has introduced the Barbados Population Policy 2023 to address these challenges by encouraging sustainable development and population growth but the minister cautioned that solutions would take time.
“One may argue that to boost the population, we need to have more children,” he said. “But even if everybody in the country decided tonight that we’re going to help the country in that regard, it would still take 18 years for there to be a manifestation of where it needs to go.”
UN Resident Coordinator Simon Springett pointed to the care economy’s overlooked value, noting that both paid and unpaid care play a vital yet underappreciated role in the country’s economic and social fabric.
He further pointed to the benefits of investing in care work: “Every dollar invested in the care economy yields higher economic returns than investments in more traditional infrastructure. It empowers people, especially women, to participate more fully in the workforce, boosting household incomes and overall national economic productivity.”
Senator Blackman also underscored the gendered nature of care work, particularly unpaid responsibilities, which are disproportionately borne by women.
“Family and community caregiving is still a gendered experience, and I’m speaking here in the context of Barbados, given the traditional division of labour, which ascribes to women the predominant responsibility for care of children, the elderly, and vulnerable populations. This work continues to go undervalued and unrecognised, and that is not good,” he said.
Efforts to address care work inequities are gaining momentum, supported by data collection initiatives from UN Women. The Barbados Continuous Labour Force Survey has begun measuring unpaid care work, laying the groundwork for evidence-based policy decisions.
But Senator Blackman stressed the importance of translating these insights into tangible outcomes and “not only have a lovely framework”.
To address caregiving challenges, the government has proposed several initiatives, including family-friendly workplace policies, training for temporary caregivers, and a national caregiver support programme offering counselling and resources. (RG)
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