By Abdul Ghani

The government has proposed dedicated funding under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to expand childcare, eldercare, disability care and community-based care facilities across Pakistan, according to a document available with Wealth Pakistan.

The proposal seeks to mainstream the care economy into the PSDP and the gender-responsive budgeting framework.

The recommendation was initially made by the Gender Mainstreaming Committee for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives on July 9, 2026, which called for dedicated resources to establish and expand affordable care facilities throughout the country.

The committee reviewed the proposal on August 25, 2026, following a presentation by the Ministry of Human Rights that incorporated feedback from both the Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission of Pakistan.

The document highlights that existing government policy and planning instruments cover such areas as equity, empowerment, vulnerable groups and social protection, but the care economy has not been explicitly incorporated.

The Ministry of Human Rights has identified two key gaps: the care economy is not explicitly included in the existing policy framework, and there is currently no dedicated allocation of resources for it in the PSDP.

To address the gaps, the ministry has recommended that the care economy be recognised in the revised National Gender Policy Framework and Annual Plan 2026-27 of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

The document further recommends that, following its recognition in the policy and planning framework, resources should subsequently be allocated through PSDP projects.

The proposed initiative could provide a formal development-planning mechanism for expanding affordable childcare, eldercare, disability care and community-based services across the country.

Credit: INP-WealthPk