All ILO Newsroom content

October 2012

1. 

   Rural economies

   Cultivating the green shoots of rural areas

   18 October 2012

   The ILO looks to harnessing the potential of the world’s rural areas as city dwellers in the developing world struggle to find work.

September 2012

1. 

   Analysis

   Crisis in Spain highlights an increasing ‘employment divide’

   17 September 2012

   The wave of social unrest that has recently hit Spain is a reflection of the growing rural/urban and north/south divide in the country.

January 2011

1. 

   I-News

   New UN report says rural women face increasing inequality: Calls for policies enabling women to drive rural economic growth and poverty reduction

   21 January 2011

   A new United Nations interagency report on the gender dimension of agricultural work says women still benefit less than men from rural employment and face new challenges due to the current economic and food crises.

2. News

   UN Agencies to launch new report on gender and work in agricultural and rural areas

   19 January 2011

May 2009

1. 

   Gender and Rural Employment

   The Gender Dimensions of Agricultural and Rural Employment: Differentiated Pathways Out of Poverty

   13 May 2009

   FAO, IFAD and ILO organized a three-day technical expert workshop which was held in Rome, from 31 March to 2 April 2009. The workshop focused on the gaps, trends and current research in gender dismensions of agricultural employment. By ensuring rights, employment, social protection and social dialogue, Decent Work can be a means to achieve equitable, inclusive and sustainable development in rural areas where the majority of the world's poor live. Investing in gender equality in agriculture and rural employment not only makes economic sense but is also important for social justice.

May 2008

1. 

   Article

   International Labour Conference, June 2008 - Decent Work in rural areas: a key path for poverty reduction

   30 May 2008

   Some 3.4 billion people, slightly under half of the world’s population, now live in rural areas. Though the great majority live in developing countries and are poor, their situation, along with the impact of climate change, food price rises and other factors are visibly in the news. Promotion of rural employment and poverty reduction is one of the main topics of discussion at this year’s International Labour Conference meeting in Geneva from 28 May to 13 June. Here are some questions and answers on the state of rural employment today and the key issues for consideration when discussing how to reduce rural poverty through the promotion of Decent Work.

2. 

   Video

   Promoting rural jobs to reduce poverty - an interview with Michael Henriques

   28 May 2008

   With three quarters of the world's poor living in rural areas, strategies to promote rural jobs are key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty and hunger by 50 per cent before the year 2015. "Rural labour markets have changed," says Michael Henriques, Director of the ILO's Job Creation and Enterprise Development Department in an interview with ILO TV. "Globalization has had a major impact on the conditions of rural areas. The benefits of globalization are not spread equally." Delegates at the 97th International Labour Conference will discuss the promotion of rural employment for poverty reduction and produce a plan of action for the ILO to implement.

May 2006

1. 

   Article

   Regional Meeting for the Americas 2-5 May - Forced labour in Latin America: Fighting impunity

   02 May 2006

   In Latin America, 1.3 million people are victims of forced labour, representing more than 10 per cent of forced labourers worldwide. According to the report prepared for the ILO Regional Meeting for the Americas, despite this high number it is possible to drastically reduce forced labour over the next 10 years if there is a will to do so. ILO Online reports from Brazil.