Globally, 2 billion people work in the informal economy. This means that 61% of workers rely on work that offers little pay and few protections. Women informal workers, such as domestic workers, home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers are at the base of the economic pyramid with the highest risk of poverty. Public policies and social protection schemes often do not consider these workers, leaving them vulnerable to income losses and struggling to cope after an event or shock. In this monthly podcast we will discuss some of the most pressing issues related to social protection from the perspective of informal workers, including debates around the future of work, demographic changes and the informal economy, as well as social services, like child care and health that can protect informal workers’ incomes. Subscribe to the “Informal Economy Podcast: Social Protection” to learn more about WIEGO’s cutting-edge research and hear from informal workers organisations about the debates, policies, successes and challenges they face in accessing and reforming social protection systems.
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#40 Political Economy Of Digital Social Protection In Mozambique
Friday, August 30, 2024 • Duration 35:32
In the second episode of the governance building block we continue to discuss the issues surrounding digitization and social protection. This time, we take a political economy perspective to understand the interests, ideas, actors and policy implications of digitization. To help us understand this complex issue, we invited again Ruth Castel-Branco,
Ruth is a Senior Researcher at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at the University of Witwatersrand. Her research is focused on the casualization of labour, worker organizing and the redistributive role of the state. She has studied the case of Mozambique, and shared some of her findings with us in this talk.
References
Improvising an E-state: The Struggle for Cash Transfer Digitalization in Mozambique, by Ruth Castel-Branco. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dech.12665
#39 Governance And Digitization Of Social Protection
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 • Duration 31:24
In this episode, we start a new building block of our social protection solar system with the first episode on the topic of governance. We have invited two guests to lay the groundwork for this block, to help us understand social protection governance, as well as the new concerns and potentials brought by digitization. We start with Tony Roberts. Tony is a researcher based at the Institute of Development Studies on the campus of the University of Sussex in the UK. He has worked on the use of digital technologies in social justice organisations since 1988. As a founder of the African Digital Rights Network his research focuses on the human rights implications of introducing digital technologies. He will share some of the findings of his report on digitization and social protection.
On the second part, we talked to Gbenga Sesan. Gbenga is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, a non-profit organisation that works with digitization and data protection rights in Africa. He will bring some concrete cases of how digitization affects informal workers.
#31 Online Capacity Building on Social Protection for Informal Workers
Thursday, February 16, 2023 • Duration 40:00
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the world in many ways. People all around the globe had to adapt to this new reality, and it was no different for informal workers leaders that struggle to improve their organizational strength.
Capacity building, one of the key aspects to increase the voice and visibility of workers, also had to be done differently. Traditional, in person events, such as exchanges, field visits or in person training sessions had to be pushed back to give room to this virtual learning environment. And new tools were created to enable better experiences, and bring people closer, despite of the social distancing.
In this context, StreetNet International and WIEGO rolled-out, last year, a 7 week-pilot training on social protection with informal workers leaders from 11 anglophone and francophone African countries.
The course enabled these workers to increase their grasp on social protection issues to keep improving their advocacy efforts on the ground, while there were still travel restrictions in place.
To talk about the potential and challenges of online training for informal workers – and to tell us more about this online course on social protection for informal workers – we invited three guests.
First, you will listen to our talk with Sandra van Niekerk. Sandra is an Independent Education Management Professional and she worked closely with StreetNet and WIEGO in the development of the online materials for both the English and French courses.
In the second part, I talked to Maira Vannuchi. Maira is StreetNet organizer for the Americas and responsible for the workers education strategy of StreetNet.
And finally, I have talked to Venance Majula. Venance is an informal worker and Media and Communication officer at TUICO, the Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers, and he was one of the participants of the course.
***
References
Report: Enabling Social Protection within the Informal Economy: Lessons from Worker-led Schemes in Nigeria, Uganda and Togo – by StreetNet and WIEGO https://www.wiego.org/sites/default/files/resources/file/Enabling%20Social%20Protection%20within%20the%20Informal%20Economy%20for%20web_0.pdf
VIDEO: Learning about State-sponsored social protection in Kenya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOpBIERW3Fg
Blog: Worker’s Story: Sizakele Ncube’s new sewing machine brings both improved income and new worries, by Annie Devenish https://www.wiego.org/blog/worker%E2%80%99s-story-sizakele-ncube%E2%80%99s-new-sewing-machine-brings-both-improved-income-and-new-worries
#30 India's Social Registry of Informal Workers
Friday, December 2, 2022 • Duration 29:16
In India, the government has set a huge undertaking: to register 380 million informal workers on a new database, so that it could allow the delivery of social security payments. This database, called e-Shram, was launched in August 2021.
But, of course, this initiative was followed by a range of doubts, problems and barriers that has been hindering the implementation of this social registry system.
To help us better understand the e-Shram – the promises, shortcomings, challenges, and most importantly, the Indian context – we invited Avi Majithia.
Avi is WIEGO’s Delhi Focal City coordinator and holds a master’s degree in Regulatory Governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (in Mumbai, India), and works closely with informal worker’s organizations in Delhi.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
References
e-Shram official website: https://eshram.gov.in/
Article 14: "The Incomplete Project Of E-Shram, India’s Database Of Unorganised Workers" https://www.article-14.com/post/the-incomplete-project-of-e-shram-india-s-database-of-unorganised-workers-620dc42806e13
Scroll.In: "e-Shram: All you need to know about India’s first centralised database for unorganised workers" https://scroll.in/article/1004199/e-shram-all-you-need-to-know-about-indias-first-centralised-database-for-unorganised-workers
India Spend: "No Documents, No Benefits: How India’s Invisible Workforce Is Left To Fend For Itself" https://www.indiaspend.com/no-documents-no-benefits-how-indias-invisible-workforce-is-left-to-fend-for-itself/
The New Leam: "Lack of Documents and Registration Deprive India’s Migrant Class of State Offered Benefits & Welfare Schemes" https://www.thenewleam.com/2020/12/lack-of-documents-and-registration-deprive-indias-migrant-class-of-state-offered-benefits-welfare-schemes/
Hindustan Times: "Documenting the story of India’s migrant distress" https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/documenting-the-story-of-india-s-migrant-distress/story-sVC8sCHFetXYBPKLa1OhZM.html
WIEGO Delhi Focal City webpage: https://www.wiego.org/delhi
#29 Social and Solidarity Economy and Informal Workers
Monday, September 19, 2022 • Duration 29:57
Social and Solidarity Economy has got into a very high place in the international agenda. This year, SSE, as it is called, was the theme of the International Labour Conference, in which workers representatives, government officials and employers representatives have gathered to discuss this alternative form of organizing production, distribution and consumption.
One of the main outcomes of the conference was that the a proposed definition of the social and solidarity economy was approved.
To understand the importance of this landmark and to learn in which ways it can contribute to the discussion of expanding social protection for informal workers, we invited two guests: Jahnvi Dave and Santiago Fischer.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
References
WIEGO page on the ILC 2022: https://www.wiego.org/events/ILO2022
Homenet and WIEGO Global position paper: https://www.wiego.org/resources/ilc-110th-session-global-position-paper
Read the ILO’s definition of the Social and Solidarity Economy https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/cooperatives/sse/WCMS_849066/lang--en/index.htm
#28 COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy Study: round 2
Monday, June 27, 2022 • Duration 44:07
In the episode 20 of our podcast, we discussed the first round of the WIEGO longitudinal survey, conducted in 2020. In this special episode, we will discuss the report of the second round of this global survey.
In this stage, 11 cities around the globe were part of the research that explored how the fallout of the pandemic affected informal workers’ income, working hours, access to healthcare, but also their coping strategies, demands and the government responses in the second year of the pandemic.
To discuss some of the main findings of the research, we invited Ana Carolina Ogando and Mike Rogan. Ana Carolina is Wiego’s Research Associate and holds a PhD in Political Science. Mike is an Associate Professor in Economics and Economic History at Rhodes University in South Africa and he is a researcher at WIEGO.
In this special episode, we also played some clips from workers testimonies taken from two webinars of the global survey project.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
***
References
COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy Study – Round 2 report:
COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy Study page: https://www.wiego.org/covid-19-crisis-and-informal-economy-study-0
Webinar: There is No Recovery without Informal Workers: Towards a Better Deal for the Global Working Poor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g1EXHeAfjU
Webinar: There is No Recovery Without Informal Workers: The View from 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIQqLBKYyjU&list=PLOdX1pDW0yXI3R0X-pTRdtK5_zeS0XcXF&index=11
#27 Social Security for Domestic Workers: trends and strategies
Thursday, June 16, 2022 • Duration 30:30
For decades, domestic workers have struggled to be recognized and to enjoy the same rights as other workers – including social protection rights. There has been significant progress over the past few years, as the workers’ movement pressured in national and international forums to have labour and social protection rights enshrined in their legal system. The ILO Convention-189 and the ratification by 35 countries, is one example of such achievements.
However, there is still a lot to be done in order to formally include domestic workers into social protection systems. But also, there are important steps to be taken in order to ensure that these workers are effectively enjoying their rights, even where they are legally entitled to them.
In order to better understand the concepts, shortcomings, challenges and advances regarding the inclusion of domestic workers in social protection schemes I talked to Maya Stern-Plaza.
Maya is the Social Protection Standards and Legal Expert of the Social Protection Department of the International Labour Organization. In addition to supporting the ratification and application of international social security standards she is also the Department’s focal point for domestic workers.
She is the main author of the report “Making the right to social security a reality for domestic workers: A global review of policy trends, statistics and extension strategies”, which is being launched today, June 16th, the International Domestic Workers’ Day.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
----
References
ILO report “Making the right to social security a reality for domestic workers: A global review of policy trends, statistics and extension strategies” https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/WCMS_848280/lang--en/index.htm
“Ten Years Since Winning C189: Domestic Workers Become an Unstoppable Movement”, by IDWF and WIEGO https://www.wiego.org/sites/default/files/resources/file/C189%20Ten%20Years%20Since%20Winning%20C189%20for%20web_0.pdf
"Making C189 Real": The Domestic Workers Project https://www.wiego.org/making-c189-real-domestic-workers-project
Blog: What’s Changed for Domestic Workers since C189? Our Legal
Team Unpacks the Progress, by Pamhidzai Bamu https://www.wiego.org/blog/what%E2%80%99s-changed-domestic-workers-c189-our-legal-team-unpacks-progress
#26 Challenging Global Social Protection Orthodoxies
Thursday, April 28, 2022 • Duration 30:30
Over the last few years, universal social protection and the government responses to the Covid-19 crisis has generated important debates in the field of social protection.
The Universal Social Protection 2030 framework, for instance, has gained support from a variety of key social protection stakeholders, including national governments, the ILO, IMF, World Bank, and other United Nations agencies, as well as global civil society organizations.
However, certain key principles and actions remain contested in practice at both the level of global financial institutions and within the roll-out of schemes at national level – which highlighted the importance of the role of the ideas.
Much of the contestation over the desirable nature and role of social protection has its roots in implicit assumptions underpinned by neo-classical economic theory, resulting in powerful policy ideas which counteract the key principles of Universal Social Protection 2030, and ultimately undermine the extension of fair, equitable and sustainable provision of social protection to informal workers.
In order to unpack, shed light into these assumptions and help us understand these dominant ideas and the actors behind it, we invited Florian Jurgens-Grant.
Florian is leads, at WIEGO, the project “Challenging the global orthodoxies which undermine Universal Social Protection”. Before joining WIEGO, he worked on social protection for the ILO and HelpAge International.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
References
Blog: Are Unfounded Assumptions About the Informal Economy Undermining Universal Social Protection?, by Florian Jurgens-Grant https://www.wiego.org/blog/are-unfounded-assumptions-about-informal-economy-undermining-universal-social-protection
Blog: World Bank’s Push for Individual Savings Provides Little Protection for Crisis-hit Workers, by Florian Jurgens-Grant https://www.wiego.org/blog/world-banks-push-individual-savings-provides-little-protection-crisis-hit-workers
Op-Ed: The World Bank and IMF are using flawed logic in their quest to do away with the informal sector, by Mike Rogan, Max Gallien and Vanessa van den Boogaard https://theconversation.com/the-world-bank-and-imf-are-using-flawed-logic-in-their-quest-to-do-away-with-the-informal-sector-170325
#25 Social Insurance for Informal Workers in South Africa
Thursday, February 17, 2022 • Duration 33:27
The last two years have brought a huge challenge to social protection systems around the world as the pandemic hit and shed light to the need of strengthening social insurance policies to protect workers against shocks that affected their livelihoods.
We look at the case of South Africa’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (or UIF) and Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (better known as TERS) to analyze how these policies were implemented to reach domestic workers, what went wrong, what went right, the challenges ahead and what learnings this might bring to help us think about new insurance schemes that can protect informal workers.
To help us understand and navigate the UIF-TERS case we invited two guests. First, I talked to Amy Takié, Co-Founder at Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance, a network of domestic workers in Johannesburg, where Amy advises domestic workers on their labour rights, supports them in accessing justice and on their advocacy efforts.
The second guest is Myrtle Witbooi, general secretary of the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) and president of the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF). Myrtle will provide us with an account from the domestic workers’ perspective.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
***
References
> Joint Statement: Impact of COVID19 on millions who work informally in South Africa - https://www.wiego.org/resources/joint-statement-impact-covid19-millions-who-work-informally-south-africa
> WIEGO - Informal Work in South Africa and COVID-19: Gendered Impacts and Priority Interventions - https://www.wiego.org/publications/informal-work-south-africa-and-covid-19-gendered-impacts-and-priority-interventions
> Izwi - Domestic workers pay a heavy price for employers’ non-compliance with labour law - https://www.izwi.org.za/post/domestic-workers-pay-a-heavy-price-for-employers-noncompliance-with-labour-law
> Op-ed - Domestic workers hung out to dry during lockdown, by Amy Tekié https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/opinion/2020-05-01-domestic-workers-hung-out-to-dry-during-lockdown/
#24 Lessons from the Covid-19 crisis for social protection
Thursday, December 2, 2021 • Duration 30:15
For the past two years, the world has been facing one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime, with the Covid-19 crisis. In this last episode of the year, we invited again Laura Alfers, the Social Protection programme coordinator at WIEGO, and Rachel Moussié, deputy coordinator of the Social Protection programme and head of the Child Care initiative, also here at WIEGO, to discuss the way in which the pandemic has exposed blind spots in social protection systems and reinforced women informal workers’ exclusion. In this talk, they explained the impact of the pandemic in their work and in the field of social protection globally. They also highlighted how WIEGO and workers’ organizations in the informal economy are engaging with social protection and developing and deepening alliances with labour movements.
*Our theme music is Focus from AA Aalto (Creative Commons)
References:
Wiego Page on COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy Study: https://www.wiego.org/covid-19-crisis-and-informal-economy-study-0
Blog: Are unfounded assumptions about the informal economy undermining universal social protection?, by Florian Juergens https://www.wiego.org/blog/are-unfounded-assumptions-about-informal-economy-undermining-universal-social-protection
For Informal Workers: COVID-19 Crisis Resources https://www.wiego.org/informal-workers-covid-19-crisis-resources
Statement: Workers take fight for social protection to ILC, by Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, HomeNet International, IDWF, StreetNet International, WIEGO and SEWA https://www.wiego.org/publications/workers-take-fight-social-protection-ilc