Areas of work

One of the policy challenges for Africa in the global post-crisis economic recovery is the adoption of a framework that allows coherence between the objectives of growth and the generation of employment and decent work.
Since the adoption of the Decent Work Agenda in Africa, 2007–15, in 2007 the African region has embarked on an ambitious drive to promote the Agenda as the economic and social development paradigm for building decent societies in Africa.

Decent work for Africa’s youth

Africa has the youngest population in the world: Young women and men represent the continent’s best hope for getting on a sustainable development path. However, youth unemployment rates are double adult unemployment rates for Africa as a whole – for North Africa they are even four times higher. ILO Online reports from Egypt where the ILO supports a pioneering project helping youth to find decent employment after leaving school.

Women Entrepreneurship and Gender Equality

Women Entrepreneurship is an important means to achieve decent and productive work for women and gender equality. ILO and its partners have been supporting African women to start, expand and formalize their businesses through a variety of support services, advocacy, access to finance, capacity building, etc. This support has been also extended to associations of women entrepreneurs.

Tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis through workplace action

ILO recognises the role of the workplace as a key entry poin for facilitating access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services in partnership with ministries of labour, employers, trade unions as well as other concerned bodies.
An HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy for the Education Sector in Southern Africa

Investing in enterprises and decent work opportunities

Enterprises play a key role in creating productive and decent work that helps meet the economic and social aspirations of people and their communities. Whether small, medium or large, enterprises – including cooperatives – they are a major source of growth and employment in all countries. Enterprises and the entrepreneurs who run them play a crucial role in creating jobs and reducing poverty.

Getting children into school and out of work

Child labour keeps children out of school and hampers the healthy development of their mind and bodies.

A fair deal for migrant workers

The ILO sees today’s global challenge as forging the policies and the resources to better manage labour migration so that it contributes positively to the growth and development of both home and host societies, as well as to the well being of the migrants themselves