In 2020, Malaysia became an ageing society – in other words, people are living longer and having less babies. 

On a separate but related note, women’s participation in the workforce has plateaued at 55%, with most citing “household and care responsibilities” as the primary reason. 

These are big-picture problems that would require comprehensive policy intervention centred around something called the Care Economy. 

But what exactly is the Care Economy? And what can Malaysia learn from other countries with more mature and robust care economies, such as Australia?

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