The Business Fights Poverty Care Economy Survey

The entire global economic system relies on caregiving - the millions of unrecognised and under-valued hours spent ensuring offices are cleaned, children and the elderly are taken care of, and food is prepared for families and workers.

Business Fights Poverty is part of an exciting consortium of actors that are seeking to identify and match SMEs innovating in the care economy with investors and companies that might use their services. Care economy SMEs are looking to reduce, reward or redistribute care work.

By taking part in this 3 minute survey you will be making an important contribution to addressing one of the most entrenched barriers to women’s economic empowerment.

Many thanks!

Question Title

* 1. How aware are you of SMEs that are innovating in the Care Economy? Tick which of these businesses you think would qualify as a provider of care economy services:

An enterprise providing elderly care facilities in a low income community

An enterprise that provides food and groceries to farm workers

An enterprise that designs products that reduce the amount of time it takes to do household tasks

A women led enterprise of 30 people providing cleaning services to businesses

A male led enterprise that provides clean drinking water to low income populations

An enterprise that has developed an app to help paid domestic workers register their employment and receive state benefits including sick pay

An enterprise that sells solar and biogas cookstoves to rural populations

Other (you can also use this box to provide the web address or contact details of an SME you know is providing Care Services)

Question Title

* 2. How does your organisation currently provide staff with support for care and domestic work?

Recommending or partnering with care providers as part of HR packages

Flexible working (including when and where people work)

On site child care/crêche facilities

Tackling stereotypes and challenging harmful attitudes and beliefs through marketing and advertising

Developing products and services that challenge gender stereotypes

Paid parental leave

Influencing national and global policies on social protection/parental leave/care work

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 3. Have you heard of examples of businesses currently providing workers across the supply chain with support for care and domestic work? (please tick all examples that you have heard of)

Encouraging suppliers to provide childcare facilities

Encouraging suppliers to provide safe spaces for breastfeeding workers

Encouraging suppliers to allow grocery stores on site (eg. garment factories) or the provision of food services (eg. on large farms/estates)

Supporting community investments that improve care infrastructure (e.g access to clean water, childcare facilities, biomass cookstoves)

Providing gender training that engages men and boys on sharing domestic roles

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 4. How could SMEs that provide care and domestic services be better connected to businesses and other organisations with large workforces? Tick top 3 where your organisation could...

Develop partnerships with SMEs, investors and governments

Provide seed funding for care economy SMEs

Provide SME’s with access to networks and mentors

Recruit SMEs to hep deliver care services e.g. as part of staff benefits

Develop partnerships with SMEs, investors and governments

Benefit from access to a global list of SMEs providing care services

Other (please specify)