Building a resilient future
for our care workforce
RE:CARE is a research initiative centering women essential care workers in Malaysia. Care work sustains society—it’s time to recognise, value, and invest in it.
The Disproportionate Impact of Care Work
During the pandemic, care work—both paid and unpaid—became vital. In Malaysia, women make the majority of the care workforce. Yet, little is known about their experiences, rendering them invisible and undervalued.
RE:CARE is a research initiative changing how we see, support, and structure care. We centre voices of care workers and advocate for a system that recognises, values and invests in our care workforce.
*UN Global SDG Indicator, 2024
Essential careworkers involved in the study
There is no definitive breakdown of what constitutes a care workforce. As such, RE:CARE focuses on healthcare, social care and domestic care as essential care workers. All three sectors must be viewed as essential as they are critical for the well-being and functioning of a society, especially during times of crises.
Healthcare
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Hospital Cleaners
Social Care
- Social Workers
- Childcare Providers
- Eldercare and PWD (Persons with Disabilities) Care Providers
Domestic Care
- Migrant Domestic Workers
Essential careworkers involved in the study
There is no definitive breakdown of what constitutes a care workforce. As such, RE:CARE focuses on healthcare, social care and domestic care as essential care workers. All three sectors must be viewed as essential as they are critical for the well-being and functioning of a society, especially during times of crises.
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Hospital Cleaners
- Social Workers
- Childcare Providers
- Eldercare and PWD (Persons with Disabilities) Care Providers
- Migrant Domestic Workers
We didn’t see the sun for weeks. It wasn’t just the workload—it was the toll it took on our patients, our families, and ourselves.
As shared by a doctor
They called us crying, demanding answers we couldn’t always give. We carried their grief while holding our own.
As shared by a nurse
Every time you see pictures of frontliners - nurses, doctors, police, and soldiers, where do we, the cleaners, fit in? We’re the ones who clean and maintain the spaces. .. I feel overlooked, people appreciate and honor others, but who values us?
As shared by a hospital cleaner in Sarawak
We raised funds for struggling families, delivered food to frontliners, and found ways to help even when our hands were tied.
As shared by a childcare provider
“I was an elder caregiver, a housekeeper, and sometimes just… invisible. But my family back home needed me to survive.
As shared by a domestic worker
Towards a Resilient Care Workforce: Lessons from COVID-19 in Malaysia
RE:CARE’s report sheds a light on the experiences of care workers across Malaysia and how their work impacts their wellbeing, making a case for recognition, value, and investment.
