Building resilience for the future of work and the post COVID19 : Promoting rights and social inclusion through organization and formalization (PRS)
Project properties
RAS/21/03/JPN Asia and the Pacific Bangladesh Pakistan India Nepal Japan Completed
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis affecting millions of people around the globe. Governments have been grappling with double challenges of containing the health pandemic through lockdown and social distancing measures, and responding to the social and economic disruptions threatening the livelihoods and wellbeing of women and men workers, particularly in the informal economy. Even before the COVID19 pandemic, there were calls to address various decent work deficits in the informal economy as it is characterized by low pay, long working hours, exposure to health and safety risks including violence and harassment, no income or job security, and no or limited access to health and maternal care. And the recognition of the need to address the negative aspects associated with informality to realize decent work for all led to the adoption of the ILO Recommendation on Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy, 2015 (No. 204) in 2015. In South Asia, the crisis has further unveiled the weaknesses of the current labour market structure where informal employment is prevalent in all sectors and most of the workers and economic units were little or inadequately protected. With containment measures such as lockdown, the workers in the informal economy, who had mostly earned meagre amount to support their livelihoods, lost earning opportunities. With no savings, no access to social protection measures, and no or limited access to information to protect themselves from infection and to access relief measures, the workers in the informal economy faced challenges in fulfilling their basic needs of food and shelter and were threatened for survival. This grave situation is a significant concern as it could further lead to social unrest and could delay the process of economic recovery. In response to the crisis, governments at the central and the local levels across South Asia have introduced various measures to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID19 on workers in vulnerable situations and their families. This project supports national efforts in addressing the negative impacts on workers and economic units in vulnerable situations. The project gives priorities in supporting existing mechanisms and practices by government, workers’ and employers’ organizations that have key elements for formalization as they are more likely to build resilience in a sustainable way. The identification of mechanisms or support is be based on the review of existing studies and in consultation with relevant stakeholders. In addition, the project ensures to reach those workers as well as economic units in most vulnerable situations such as women workers in the informal economy as they are generally left behind in representing their voice and accessing support. The project also works on addressing some of gender issues such as unequal distribution of care responsibilities and violence and harassment as they tend to be overlooked in many of the COVID19 response measures.SDG
Goals
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- Reduce inequality within and among countries
Time
17.03.2021 - 31.12.2022
Budget
915,206 / 915,206
Development Cooperation