Care Arabia Gender AS in Mashreq

active

The project throughout its lifetime will be focused on creating and inherently increasing the market linkages between the demand (employers) and supply (childcare service providers) of the early childcare services in the region. This will be achieved by firstly enhancing and improving the knowledge and capacity of private sector employers when it comes to providing their working mothers and parents with quality childcare support services (I.e. flexible working policies, subsidized nursery fees, or stipends, etc.). This will be done through delivering design sessions to a network of employers under the PLP component that will be delivered by IFC experts. Additionally, the project will enhance the business and financial management skills, the safety and service quality standards, as well as the bankability of SMEs (predominantly women-led or owned) that operate as early childcare service providers (nurseries). This will allow these SMEs to expand their businesses and possibly into new markets, such as the private sector employers within geographical proximity. This will be done through tailored training and mentorship sessions under the Nursery Booster activity of this project, with close coordination with the project partner bank, Jordan Kuwait Bank (JKB). The project, in partnership with JKB, will also dedicate another activity to supporting the growth of start-ups in the care sector in order to foster the creation of innovative care solutions in the Mashreq. Potential access to finance opportunities will also be explored throughout the project. As an overall project result, some of these companies and nurseries are expected to self-implement recommended actions and adopt certain policies and tools that will enable them to connect to each other, providing quality, affordable childcare service provision to working mothers and parents alike and contributing to increasing female labor force participation rates. IFC clients will be encouraged to join the project’s activities.