More than 60 percent — or two-billion — of the world’s employed work in the informal economy, an outcome that is especially prevalent in vulnerable countries, according to a recent study by the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva.
Governments don’t regulate informal economies, so there are many repercussions. “Informality has a harmful effect on workers’ rights, including fundamental principles and rights at work, social protection, decent working conditions and the rule of law,” reads the report, “Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture.” It also notes the strain informal employment has on the sustainable economy.
Although more men (63 percent) than women (58 percent) are informally employed, the dynamics change in vulnerable communities. For example, Africa has among the highest informal employment (85.8 percent), of which 89.7 percent are women, compared to 82.7 percent of men.
At Christian Children’s Fund of Canada, we have skills-training programs that give youth, women and men opportunities to create sustainable work for themselves in farming, livestock rearing, hairdressing and more. Read stories from our programs to learn how lives are being changed for the better.