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This is the first of a two-part essay on women home-based workers in Sunder Nagari slum in Delhi. Read part two here . In the narrow bylanes of Delhi’s Sunder Nagari slum, Shama and Phoolbano conduct their livelihood activities outside their tiny homes. Sunder Nagari is one of the largest...
This piece originally appeared in the Huffington Post as part of the series "What's Working: Sustainable Development Goals. Rapid urbanization has burdened cities with an issue that no one can ignore -- unprecedented amounts of trash. World cities generate a whopping 1.3 billion tons of waste per...
Ela Bhatt is Founder of SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) and the Founding Chair of WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing) This year, the global community has renewed its commitment to “a more peaceful, prosperous and just world” by committing to the Sustainable...
For many of us, the word “informal employment” conjures up images of street vendors, rickshaw drivers, or casual laborers in agriculture—all images linked to the developing world and the hard edges of subsistence in low-income economies. But informal employment means more than irregular or low wages...
There is a growing consensus in the international community that economic growth needs to be inclusive: that it needs to be broad-based and create productive employment opportunities for the majority of the working-age population. But there is less consensus about what should be done about the...
Q&A with Chris Bonner WIEGO’s Director of Organization and Representation Programme Q: Could you briefly tell us about your role as WIEGO's Organization and Representation Programme Director and your approach to organizing informal workers? The Organization and Representation Programme (ORP) is one...
Discussions about health inequalities often focus on the barriers that poor people face in accessing health services. This is certainly an important aspect of the debate on health service provision. What is often missed, however, is the fact that many poor people are also workers, particularly...
On March 7, 2018, John Makwicana passed away at the age of 71. John fearlessly took on the challenging battle of defending the rights of street vendors in his city of Durban, South Africa -- and, against many odds, won. His victory entrenched the constitutional rights of street vendors, and was a...
Rahul Mehrotra is a practicing architect, urban designer, and educator. He is Professor of Urban Design and Planning and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University, where he recently co-taught a course, “Livelihoods and Urban Form,” with WIEGO’s International...
Myrtle Witbooi never intended to become a domestic worker. She had planned on studying nursing, but when a family asked her to help caretake for their daughter, who was recently burned, she agreed. For the next 12 years, she lovingly looked after the growing child and her siblings and, unwittingly...
Videos / Slideshows / Audio
Millions of women work long hours, in dangerous conditions, for little pay. They are fighting for change, with the help of ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Watch this video to learn how.
Workers Education/Organizing Materials
This manual helps street vendors learn more about the regulations that govern public space and how to defend the right to work in public space. It describes successful actions taken by street vendor organizations. And it offers information to help you organize and negotiate with local government.
WIEGO Working Papers
Mike Rogan reviews how informal workers are taxed, why there is growing interest in taxing them, and whether they should be included in the tax net.