Manali Shah, National Secretary, SEWA, dedicated her speech in the Congress Plenary of ITUC in Melbourne, to home-based workers’ precarious conditions around the world, especially women home-based workers, who’s struggles have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She mentioned, “In an ILO study conducted in the year 2019, there were over 260 million home-based workers around the world and this number almost doubled during the pandemic. It represents 7.9 % of global employment. As per a study on the impact of COVID-19, within the informal economy, home-based workers were the worst affected and are still finding it difficult to recover. Their supply chains have been disrupted leading to irregular work and income which is as low as two percent of the pre-Covid earnings.”
She added that ILO Convention 177 (Home Work Convention), to this day, has very low ratification (only 13 countries), leaving many home-based workers, mostly women, legally unprotected, further reducing their chances to recover.
“We urge ITUC to adopt a Global 12 by 12 Campaign on ratification of ILO Convention 177 in 12 months in 12 countries. Women home-based workers around the world are in a state of despair and have a sense of urgency” she stressed, as she finalized her address.
Manali Shah was elected in the Women’s Committee’s Global Seat.
