As India aspires to achieve a $5 trillion economy, women's workforce participation in this journey is crucial. Unpaid care work is among the primary reasons for women dropping out of the workforce. Mothers in particular face a disproportionate burden of caregiving responsibilities, often leading to stress and feelings of inadequacy or guilt, particularly during early parenthood.

Addressing the lack of support programs in Indian cities is crucial to easing this burden and ensuring better outcomes for both caregivers and children. Recognizing the severity of these issues, the Nurturing Neighbourhoods 2.0 program (NN 2.0), supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Van Leer Foundation, with the technical support of WRI India, is encouraging cities to focus on caregiver well-being.

This blog looks at the challenges caregivers face in cities and offers strategies that communities and city authorities can pursue to address them.

Challenges Faced by Caregivers

Caregivers face numerous challenges, particularly in the following focus areas, that must be addressed to create supportive urban environments for them:

Limited range of mobility: Lack of safe and supportive infrastructure coupled with comparatively slow speeds can restrict caregivers’ range of mobility to 600m-800m.

Understanding the range of mobility of caregivers and young children in cities. Graphic by Van Leer Foundation.
Understanding the range of mobility of caregivers and young children in cities. Graphic by Van Leer Foundation.
People waiting at a maternity ward
Caregivers in maternity homes and public health centers need comfortable seating spaces to avoid waiting uncomfortably for long hours. Photo by Directorate of Urban Land Transport.

Shared responsibility and support system at home: Women caregivers often have little to no support available in their caregiving responsibilities due to a lack of awareness and empathy.

Caregiver friendly cities
A preliminary survey, conducted in Pune in 2022, revealed that women take up the major share of caregiving responsibilities. Photos by Sociology Department/Savitribai Phule Pune University and graph by WRI India.

Social support and peer support groups: Peer interaction with other caregivers in the neighborhood can help allay the anxiety or isolation caregivers feel during pregnancy and the early years of parenthood. However, these avenues aren’t always available.

Women in a Fort Kochi neighborhood highlighting the need for safe, accessible outdoor spaces where they can spend leisure time with their peers. Photo by Amy Joseph/WRI India.
Women in Kochi neighborhood highlighting the need for safe, accessible outdoor spaces where they can spend leisure time with their peers. Photo by Amy Joseph/WRI India.

In an effort to drive sustainable change and overcome these challenges, NN 2.0 is helping promote the following targeted strategies and actions for city authorities and communities to better support caregivers.

Strategies for City Authorities

Involving caregivers in project planning and implementation: Involving caregivers in formative research to understand their needs, co-creating solutions with them, and involving them in implementation and maintenance can lead to continued usage of the public space in the long term.

Ward-level awareness and focused group discussion with caregivers in Kohima. Photo by Kohima Municipal Corporation.
Ward-level awareness and focused group discussion with caregivers in Kohima. Photo by Kohima Municipal Council.

Capacity building of officials: The Capacities of officials can be strengthened to ensure caregiver-centric amenities in public spaces. Alongside conducive policies that support caregiver well-being, this can translate to a more meaningful impact on the ground.

Capacity building of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BMC) officials on designing public spaces for young children and caregivers. Photo by Rajeev Malagi/WRI India.
Capacity building of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BMC) officials on designing public spaces for young children and caregivers. Photo by Rajeev Malagi/WRI India.

Sensitization of frontline workers: Empowering and sensitizing frontline workers –traffic police, bus drivers and conductors, and security staff at parks, public spaces, and bus stations – to be supportive and empathetic towards caregivers is a step towards building a community that prioritizes caregivers, infants, toddlers and their unique needs.

A focused group discussion with Anganwadi teachers in Indore. Photo by Indore Smart City Development Limited.
A focused group discussion with Anganwadi teachers in Indore. Photo by Indore Smart City Development Limited.

Clustering diverse opportunities in public spaces: Integrating supportive services for caregivers with livelihood and skilling opportunities and engaging activities for children in public spaces can go a long way in addressing caregivers’ time poverty.

A clustered public space developed in a neighborhood in Rourkela has enabled women caregivers to pursue livelihood opportunities alongside spaces to engage their young children. Photo by Rourkela Smart City Limited.
A clustered public space developed in a neighborhood in Rourkela has enabled women caregivers to pursue livelihood opportunities alongside spaces to engage their young children. Photo by Rourkela Smart City Limited.

Strategies for Communities

Sensitizing communities through awareness campaigns: Conducting events and awareness programs on caregiver well-being can help communities acknowledge the needs of caregivers and develop strong support systems. The champions created through these engagements can help generate a demand for sustained, caregiver-centric public spaces and services in neighborhoods.

A meeting with the residents of Ruputola Slum in Rourkela to sensitize them to the need for caregiver-friendly public spaces. Photo by Arunima Saha/WRI India.
A meeting with the residents of Ruputola Slum in Rourkela to sensitize them to the need for caregiver-friendly public spaces. Photo by Arunima Saha/WRI India.

Training caregivers on responsive caregiving practices: Empowering young mothers and pregnant women with information on responsive caregiving practices is crucial. It can help ease their anxiety and equip them with the knowledge they need to nurture their young ones with confidence. Making such information accessible in places they frequent can help them positively engage with their children.

Sensitizing mothers of young children in Pune on responsive caregiving practices. Photo by Yash Siroliya/ WRI India.
Sensitizing mothers of young children in Pune on responsive caregiving practices. Photo by Yash Siroliya/ WRI India.

Facilitating peer support groups: Creating affinity groups in communities to support young parents and peer interactions can help enable a reliable support system for parents.

Women
Caregivers of young children in Warangal meet regularly in a park near their homes to socialize and de-stress. Photo by Pravar Chaudhary for WRI India.

Operationalizing these strategies requires efforts by communities, frontline workers, local NGOs, urban practitioners, other relevant organizations and city agencies. Building strong support systems can enhance caregivers’ well-being and their access to livelihood opportunities, leading to better development outcomes for children.

It takes a village to raise a child. By working together, communities and local governments can build cities that center young children and caregiver well-being.