International Labour Organisation research shows many workers resign due to childcare issues, emphasizing the need for workplace childcare to support families.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
The future of decent work relies heavily on care work, both paid and unpaid. Governments, employers, trade unions, and individuals need to take urgent action to address the current deficits in care service provision and its quality. Failure to do so could lead to a severe global care crisis and worsen gender inequalities at work. The International Labour Organization (ILO) will mark the International Day of Care and Support (29 October) by spotlighting the , adopted by the ILO鈥檚 in June 2024.
The world of work is undergoing profound change. These changes are creating skills gaps, mismatches and shortages that are resulting in unfilled jobs and lost productivity. So how do we close this skills gap? In search of an answer, the has adopted a new international labour standard focused on updating its approach to skills and quality apprenticeships. But how will it work in practice? In this podcast Martin Henry, Research, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of Education International in Brussels, and Kathryn Rowan, Executive Director of GAN, the Global Apprenticeship Network based in Geneva, share their insights.
The value of unpaid domestic and care work is finally changing following sustained advocacy and implementation of new measuring tools.
There is much discussion of the effects Generative AI will have on job creation and destruction, but just as important is the effect it will have on the quality of jobs 鈥 decent work 鈥 and which countries and sectors will feel the effects most. A new research paper suggests that its impact on the augmentation of jobs is at least as important as the automation of tasks. However, it also implies that, without the right policies, AI could deepen existing inequalities between genders and the richest and poorest. Find out more in this .
Care work, both paid and unpaid, is crucial to the future of decent work. Growing populations, ageing societies, changing families, women鈥檚 secondary status in labour markets and shortcomings in social policies demand urgent action on the organization of care work from governments, employers, trade unions and individual citizens. The care economy is growing as the demand for childcare and care for the elderly is increasing in all regions. With the global demand for domestic workers likely to grow, the to ensure they have access to decent work.
Amy Pope, Director General of IOM, is advocating for a new narrative around the issue of migrants, arguing that in an ageing world, 鈥渦ltimately, 鈥.&苍产蝉辫;
Humanity has always been on the move. Some in search of work or economic opportunity, to join family, or to study. Others move to escape conflict, persecution or large-scale human rights violations. Still others move in response to the adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters or other environmental factors.
In her very first week on the job, she sat down with 缅北禁地News鈥檚 Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer to talk about a comprehensive view of migration and its causes.
Photo Credit: 漏
Ruma, a 38-year-old widowed single mother of one from a small town in southern Bangladesh experienced social harassment after her husband died, forcing her to migrate. Through an arranged marriage of convenience, she made it to Italy. Despite her attempts to succeed in Italy she decided to return home to Bangladesh, where she learned about the 鈥檚 project. The team has provided her with financial literacy and in-kind support. She has finally been able to provide for her son who is currently pursuing his future.
is calling for safer working conditions and greater respect for sanitation workers.
"The war [in the Ukraine] is affecting the sustainable development of every single country in our region [...] The war was used as a pretext to walk back on certain already feeble commitments in terms of climate."
Vladislav Kaim is dedicated to protecting the environment. A member of the 缅北禁地Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, he promotes green jobs, the energy transition, and generous climate finance - urgent priorities for our rapidly warming world. Yet the war in Ukraine has blown apart regional and global networks working towards a livable future. As a Moldovan, Vladislav Kaim has seen how the devastating war in Ukraine has affected the region and turned people's attention away from the climate emergency. In this episode, he reflects on the effect of the war on long-term climate action, and on his fears for loved ones in the region.
Photo: 漏Vladislav Kaim
Mountain women in Kyrgyzstan are working together with fashion designer Stella Jean to bring their traditional felt designs to the international market, thanks to a collaboration between the Products initiative, Topchu artisan group, FAO Women's Committee and Stella Jean.
鈥淭here used to be so much fish, but things are changing.鈥 Roza, a fisherwoman, has worked for over 20 years in the Danube river basin. In the last decade, rising temperatures and lower water levels are forcing Roza to question the changing nature of her job.