STRIDE - Building resilience for the future of work and the post COVID-19: Strengthening integrated policy framework for formalization and decent work (STRIDE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis affecting millions of people around the globe. Governments have been grappling with double challenges of containing the health pandemic through lockdown and social distancing measures, and responding to the social and economic disruptions threatening the livelihoods and wellbeing of women and men workers, particularly in the informal economy. Even before the COVID19 pandemic, there were calls to address various decent work deficits in the informal economy as it is characterized by low pay, long working hours, exposure to health and safety risks including violence and harassment, no income or job security, and no or limited access to health and maternal care. And the recognition of the need to address the negative aspects associated with informality to realize decent work for all led to the adoption of the ILO Recommendation on Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy, 2015 (No. 204) in 2015. In South Asia, the crisis has further unveiled the weaknesses of the current labour market structure where informal employment is prevalent in all sectors and most of the workers and economic units were little or inadequately protected. With containment measures such as lockdown, the workers in the informal economy, who had mostly earned meagre amount to support their livelihoods, lost earning opportunities. With no savings, no access to social protection measures, and no or limited access to information to protect themselves from infection and to access relief measures, the workers in the informal economy faced challenges in fulfilling their basic needs of food and shelter and were threatened for survival. This grave situation is a significant concern as it could further lead to social unrest and could delay the process of economic recovery. Women in the informal economy have been particularly hard hit and there have been many reports on the increasing cases of domestic violence and sexual harassment. With school closures and everyone staying at home, the care responsibilities have increased greatly which have impacted mostly women. The increased care responsibilities can lead more women to leave the labour market in countries where women’s labour force rates have been low and this pose a serious concern for the post COVID19 economic recovery and sustainable and inclusive development. In response to the crisis, governments at the central and the local levels across South Asia have introduced various measures to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID19 on workers and economic units in vulnerable situations and their families and also to support the revival of economy. However, there have been some cases where policy makers announced decisions to relax or revise labour regulations in efforts to revitalize economic activities. These moves will further result in informalization of formal employment and work against building a resilient society. The importance of formalization for achieving lasting peace and social justice needs to be brought to the attention of the policy makers and other key stakeholders in the world of work so that appropriate measures can be taken by policy makers in building strong labour market institutions that will promote decent work and contribute to sustainable development. This project will work to address limited understanding on the benefits and importance for promoting formalization among policy makers and other key stakeholders.

Project symbol

RAS/21/04/JPN

Admin unit

DWT/CO-New Delhi

Start date

17/03/2021

End date

31/12/2022

Total allocation

564508

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

564364

Development Partners

Japan, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Country/Countries

India
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Pakistan
Nepal

Outcomes

Outcome 6: Protection at work for all
Outcome 6: Gender equality and equal opportunities and treatment for all in the world of work
Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all
Outcome 7: Adequate and effective protection at work for all