In Colombia, more than 17 million people, nearly a third of the population, require daily care or support. Many of these children, adolescents, older adults, and people with disabilities are assisted by more than 7 million unpaid caregivers. These caregivers, mostly women, often put their own education, health, and incomes on hold to meet the needs of others. Colombia’s new National Care Policy (NCP) aims to repay this social debt, with regional governments playing a central role in its implementation.
Care as a human right
Care is internationally recognised as a basic, universal right, essential to life, dignity, and well-being. In February 2025, Colombia took a major step towards making this right a reality by adopting a 10-year National Care Policy. Led by the new Ministry of Equality and Equity, the policy sets out 133 actions across 15 ministries and 34 public entities to support both those who receive care and those who provide it.
Caring communities
While national leadership sets the pace and priorities, local care communities are at the heart of the new approach. The NCP includes an Indigenous component that respects traditional knowledge and ensures Indigenous peoples are consulted on their care systems. Through training sessions, community engagement, and links with existing services, the policy helps shift social norms, strengthen support networks, and align institutional action. This approach also works with communities to address gender stereotypes and encourage men’s participation, while promoting sustainable investments in care systems.
Supporting local leadership
The Care Directorate supports regional governments and capital cities in developing local care systems by offering technical assistance on governance models and financing mechanisms. As part of this effort, it has issued guidelines to help integrate care into diagnostic assessments, strategic plans, and budgetary components, and has worked with UN Women and UNDP to strengthen the “Territorial Care Network” to guide the design and implementation of territorial care systems.
These efforts are already yielding results: 13 departments, 14 capital cities, and other municipalities have now incorporated care-related goals and resources into their planning instruments. In total, support has reached 64 territorial entities, including 32 departments, 26 capital cities, and six municipalities, which have taken steps to recognise and elevate the right to care within their jurisdictions.
Reaching every caregiver
Efforts to reach caregivers in remote and underserved areas through the Care Routes initiative, mobile units that bring services directly to caregivers, are also beginning to bear fruit.
One example is the Fluvial Care Route, funded by the Open Society Foundations and the Barco Foundation, which delivers essential care services, including psychological support, training from the National Learning Service (SENA), and community care spaces, to Indigenous communities along the Colombia–Brazil border (Nazaret in Leticia and Benjamin Constant).
This approach is also proving effective in urban areas. In Bogotá, for instance, equipped vehicles (Care Buses) provide free training, well-being, and care services to deprived urban neighbourhoods.
Challenges for carers
Despite progress, several longstanding local challenges remain.
First, encouraging local ownership of the issue. Progress depends on leadership from mayors and governors. In some areas, political differences or low awareness of care as a public responsibility can slow momentum.
Second, tackling gender biases. Care is still widely viewed as “women’s work,” while male carers often face social stigma.
Third, barriers to participation. Trust gaps, language differences, accessibility issues, and pressure for quick results can all limit community engagement.
Fourth, local financial constraints. Local authorities often lack the budget or capacity to invest in care services, particularly in areas facing broader economic challenges.
Fifth, data gaps. Incomplete data hampers efforts to identify needs and monitor progress. The recent expansion of the National Time Use Survey to Orinoquía and the Amazon is a step forward toward building inclusive, data-informed policies.
The NCP’s community-centred approach can help address these obstacles by working with communities to avoid blame, demonstrate immediate benefits, and offer practical starting points.
Co-ordinating care for a better future
Building sustainable care systems requires coordination across sectors and levels of government, based on principles of collaboration, decentralisation, and shared responsibility.
But the hard work is worth it: getting care right is not just a moral obligation but a pathway to stronger, more inclusive communities, and a better future for all.
To learn more about this topic, read the OECD and European Commission report Social Economy in Europe. Find out more about the OECD’s work on related topics here: Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED).
Natalia Moreno is an economist with a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the National University of Colombia. Her work is grounded in the field of feminist economics; she has conducted research on the care economy and gender-responsive tax policies. She was one of the spokespeople for the campaign #MenstruaciónLibreDeImpuestos, which succeeded in eliminating VAT on menstrual hygiene products in the country.
She has served as an adjunct professor at the National University of Colombia, worked at DANE on the production of gender-focused statistics, and was an advisor to Congress on the Commission for Women’s Equity. She is the former Director of the Care System at the Bogotá District Secretariat for Women, former Manager of the National Care Policy in the Vice Presidency of the Republic and is currently the Director of Care at Colombia’s Ministry of Equality and Equity.