2009 will be a challenging year in view of the current economic crisis. Our work on poverty reduction and social development will show options of how to mediate risks for the most vulnerable groups.
International Women’s Day is around the corner. Our gender team is currently finalising several exciting products that we will present on that occasion. The new and improved Gender, Institutions and Development Database 2009 will offer latest statistics on social norms and traditions impacting on gender equality.
Detailed country notes will provide in-depth information on the situation of women and men around the world. In addition, a composite index of gender equality will allow comparing and ranking countries in the area of social institutions, while new graphical tools will help to visualise data. International Women’s Day will also see the launch of Wikigender Version 2, offering many new features to explore and opportunities to discuss information on gender equality.
The current economic crisis has deep implications for labour markets across the planet. Growing unemployment may lead to higher informality and an unwinding of well-established patterns of migration.
This article evaluates the social effects of the global crisis in developing countries: poverty reduction, informal employment and international labour mobility. It also gives a preview of our forthcoming study on “Informal is Normal: Towards More and Better Jobs in Developing Countries”.
Recession leads to informality in the labour market
2009 has begun in the midst of the most serious economic crisis in decades. Finding innovative solutions to the global challenges of development, poverty and inequality is more pressing than ever. Such solutions can only be found by combining expertise with humility and intellectual candour; by letting in new ideas from outside the rich countries’ clubs. (read more...)
