Speakers at National Childcare Summit 2026

‎
                                                                                   

Stronger Childcare Ecosystem Can Boost Women’s Employment and Inclusive Growth

Affordable, accessible and quality childcare is essential to enabling women to participate in the workforce while ensuring young children receive the care and support they need to thrive, said speakers at the National Childcare Summit 2026.
The national dialogue, to be held over two days at Bangla Academy on 14–15 November, explored how a stronger childcare ecosystem can advance women’s economic empowerment and children’s development.
At a time when female labor force fell from 42.8 percent in 2022 to 38.4 percent in 2024 and 96% of working women are in informal employment, the Summit focused on childcare solutions to support women’s economic empowerment and children’s development.
Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, MP, Minister for Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare, attended the inaugural day as Chief Guest. Also present at the event were Arinjoy Dhar, Deputy Executive Director of BRAC, Dr Erum Marium, Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Educational Development, Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar, PhD, Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University, and Esha Husain, Country Director, Synergos Bangladesh.
Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said that childcare has become a major issue in the current context. Many women are unable to enter or remain in the workforce because of uncertainty over who will look after their children. The state has the greatest responsibility in addressing this issue. Although the government has enacted several laws, their implementation requires further discussion. The existing Child Daycare Centre Act has certain complexities, and necessary amendments will be made following consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Stating that the government is committed to building an inclusive society, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said that childcare centres are already operating in some government institutions, and the government has undertaken several initiatives to expand their coverage. The government is placing greater emphasis on community-based childcare. He added that childcare centres are not merely a service provision; they also present opportunities for investment and employment generation. The government will extend support to private-sector entrepreneurs in this regard.
“Bangladesh’s ambitious aspirations will require creating more and better jobs, raising productivity, and making better use of the country’s human capital – women must be at the centre of that”, said Jean Pesme, Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, World Bank. “Affordable and quality childcare enables women to work, create jobs, and give children a strong start in life.”
Arinjoy Dhar, Deputy Executive Director of BRAC, said, “Quality childcare is not a peripheral social service; it is essential social and economic infrastructure. It is fundamental to children’s development and women’s economic participation. We cannot build an inclusive, productive economy if women must choose between caring for their children and pursuing economic opportunities. The policy direction is set; now we must focus on implementation through collective action.”
“Recognising childcare as a sector means recognising the value of women’s paid and unpaid care work, the contribution of caregivers and other stakeholders, and every child’s right to quality care. Building a stronger childcare ecosystem is a shared responsibility, requiring government, employers, childcare providers, communities and development partners to work together to expand access without compromising quality,” said the representatives from Synergos Bangladesh, BRAC Institute of Educational Development, BRAC, and the World Bank Group, the co-organisers of the National Childcare Summit 2026.
The summit highlighted childcare’s potential “triple dividend”, as evidenced by global research: supporting women’s economic participation, strengthening the human capital of the next generation, and contributing to inclusive economic growth. Employers also benefit.
The Child Daycare Centre Act 2021 created a legal foundation for childcare, but challenges remain in implementation, regulation, financing, workforce development, quality assurance and service delivery. Existing childcare services are limited, uneven in quality, and often unaffordable for low-income families. Recent World Bank Group research finds that families are most likely to use childcare services if they are affordable, nearby, trusted, and supportive of children’s development.
The summit brought together policymakers, employers, childcare providers and entrepreneurs, development partners, researchers, and civil society organisations. The theme, “United for Quality Care,” captured the Summit’s core messa
-Press Release