2015年-世界发展银行全球_Why_Should_We_Care_about_Care____The_Role_of_Childcare_and_Eldercare_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_45页_1019kb

Summary of "Why Should We Care About Care? The Role of Childcare and Eldercare in Bosnia and Herzegovina"

Core Content

This report explores the role of childcare and eldercare in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), highlighting the challenges and opportunities for developing a formal care industry. It emphasizes the impact of care responsibilities on women's labor participation and productivity, and outlines key policy recommendations to address these issues.

Main Points

Gender Disparities in Labor Participation

• Female labor participation in BiH is significantly lower than male participation, with only 41% of women aged 15–64 participating in the labor force compared to 65.7% of men.
• This gender gap results in a loss of around 16% of BiH’s gross national income.
• Women are more likely to be caregivers, which reduces their labor market engagement and leads to lower lifetime earnings, reduced pension accumulation, and increased long-term economic vulnerability.

Care as a Barrier to Economic Participation

• The conflict between care and work is a fundamental barrier to women's economic participation.
• Caregiving responsibilities can lead to reduced work hours, withdrawal from the labor force, or switching to less secure jobs.
• Social norms and perceptions about care significantly influence the use of formal care services, often discouraging women from utilizing them.

Importance of Formal Care Services

• The availability, affordability, and quality of formal care services are critical for enabling women to participate in the labor market.
• In BiH, formal childcare services are underutilized, with only 13.4% of women using formal care alone, and 28.4% relying on informal care alone.
• Social norms contribute to negative perceptions of childcare centers, even in countries that appear relatively progressive.

Elderly Care Challenges

• Elderly care in BiH is limited, with only 2.1% of participants using formal care arrangements.
• Informal care is the primary mode of eldercare, with 34% of women receiving help from family or friends.
• Social norms and filial obligations strongly deter the use of residential eldercare, while day-care centers and home-based formats are more compatible with these norms.

Policy Implications

• Developing a formal care industry can increase labor force participation and productivity.
• Policy recommendations include:
  • Expanding publicly provided childcare centers.
  • Creating education and accreditation programs for caregivers and care-entrepreneurs.
  • Improving the quality of care services with attention to costs.
  • Designing an elder care system that considers the needs of both care recipients and informal care providers.

Key Findings

Childcare Supply

• Insufficient capacity is the most pressing issue in childcare supply.
• High child-staff ratios and lack of infrastructure are the main challenges for quality childcare provision.
• Price is a significant barrier to childcare use, with only 7% of women using formal care alone.
• Childcare facilities are often under capacity, and few offer year-round services.

Childcare Demand

• The main determinants of childcare demand are:
  • Perception of benefits for children's development.
  • Need for support for working or willing-to-work mothers.
• Social norms influence the perception of childcare use, often leading to negative attitudes.

Eldercare Supply

• Residential eldercare is limited and lack of day-based services is a major issue.
• NGOs play a key role in providing home-based eldercare in BiH.
• High costs of eldercare are a barrier to use.
• Human resources are a major challenge for quality eldercare provision.

Eldercare Demand

• Filial obligations and social norms are strong deterrents to residential eldercare use.
• Perceptions of benefits from formal eldercare are positive, especially for those without family support.
• Formal care can help reduce the burden on informal care providers and increase productivity.

Policy Recommendations

• Expand formal childcare through public investment.
• Develop education and accreditation programs to train caregivers and improve service quality.
• Implement pricing strategies that make childcare more affordable.
• Design eldercare systems that support both care recipients and informal care providers.
• Promote awareness and change social norms to increase the acceptance of formal care services.

Conclusion

The lack of formal care services in BiH contributes to gender-based inequalities and economic vulnerability. Addressing these challenges through policy interventions can enhance labor market participation, increase productivity, and promote sustainable development. The report highlights the need for data-driven policy approaches and inclusive care systems that support both formal and informal care.