Occupational health and safety (OHS) provisions are critical for all women workers, especially for those working in high-risk sectors. WIEGO is undertaking a five-year participatory research and advocacy project (2024-2029) in Brazil and India to ensure the OHS needs of women workers in informal employment are integrated into public health systems.
ShareOccupational illnesses and injuries are among the top risks which shape the burden of disease and disability worldwide. Women workers in informal employment are particularly vulnerable to these risks given the precarious but unprotected nature of their work. OHS provisions often do not cover informal workplaces, and rely on the presence of an employer-employee relationship for enforcement purposes. Despite global interest in integrating OHS into national health systems and extending provision to workers in informal employment, few examples exist of health policies or strategies focusing on women in informal employment.
WIEGO and partners seek to expand the evidence base and promote the voice of women workers in informal employment to incorporate their needs into public health systems. In Brazil, collaborators include the University of Bahia, the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (the largest trade union in Latin America), the Federação Nacional das Trabalhadoras Domésticas and Movimento Nacional dos Catadores de Materiais recicláveis. In India, our collaborators are the National Institute for Occupational Health (within the Indian Council of Medical Research, Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare) and Self-employed Women’s Association (SEWA).
The project will undertake a range of research and advocacy activities, divided into three phases. During the inception phase, relevant stakeholders were engaged to understand workers’ health needs and systems perspectives. This resulted in the development of research and advocacy priorities. The next phase builds on the research priorities. WIEGO and in-country partners in Brazil and India will co-design and conduct participatory research in selected geographies in Brazil and India. In the final phase, the evidence will be leveraged for full-scale advocacy on identified pathways to integrate workers’ health and needs within primary healthcare.