Features

2012

1. 

   Rights at work

   Maternity protection: Not just a personal issue

   23 November 2012

   Many countries have ratified ILO conventions on maternity protection, but pregnant women still face workplace discrimination. Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), the ILO publishes guidelines on how to implement maternity protection policies.

2. 

   Gender gap

   Time for women to get on board

   31 October 2012

   The need to have more women in the world’s still male-dominated boardrooms has gained widespread recognition but there is also strong disagreement on how to go about it.

3. 

   Gender equality

   African judges’ labour of law

   26 October 2012

   The ILO helps 25 African judges fight sex discrimination in the courts but cultural challenges remain the biggest obstacle for some.

4. 

   Q&A

   Gender equality in the rural sector: The ever-present challenge

   02 March 2012

   The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day – Empower Rural Women, end poverty and hunger – highlights the need to tackle gender inequalities in the rural sector. Women living and working in rural areas are often perceived and treated as second-class citizens. Despite the low level of recognition given to their work, their socio-economic contribution to the welfare of their households and communities is immense. In this interview, ILO Gender Bureau Director Jane Hodges discusses the many facets of the plight of rural women.

2010

1. 

   International Women’s Day

   Small Premiums, Long-term Benefits: Why Poor Women Need Microinsurance

   05 March 2010

   15 years have passed since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing decided on a global platform for action on gender equality and women’s empowerment. For poor women in developing countries, microinsurance coverage is an important safety net, providing a powerful tool to protect their households and productive assets. ILO Online reports from Kenya where microinsurance represents a new frontier of economic and social development.

2009

1. 

   International Day for Persons with Disabilities

   Helping women and men with disabilities fulfil their potential

   02 December 2009

   December 3 marks International Day for Persons with Disabilities. This year, the theme focuses on the empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities. Emanuela Pozzan, ILO Subregional Coordinator on Disability for East Asia, looks at a Vietnamese woman whose work in this area has received international recognition.

2. 

   Gender equality

   India’s barefoot solar engineers fight climate change and poverty

   04 September 2009

   The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was the linkage between climate change and the role of women in the world of work. Mandy Cunningham, a freelance journalist, reports from Rajasthan, India where women are at the forefront of what the ILO calls Green Jobs; jobs which are created as a result of economies adapting to climate and environmental change.

3. 

   Article

   Power for the powerless; the woman behind India's ‘Gentle Revolution’

   31 August 2009

   The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was “Social dialogue at work: voices and choices for women and men”. ILO Online reports from India where the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has helped women and men to make their voices heard since 1971.

4. 

   Work and family

   By cooking and cleaning, Cambodia’s Mr. Mom sweeps away poverty

   21 August 2009

   The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was the issue of harmonizing employment and family commitments for both women and men. Karen Emmons, a freelance journalist, reports from Cambodia where an ILO training programme helps to bring about the necessary change in attitudes.

5. 

   World Day against Child Labour 2009

   Migrant working girls, victims of the global crisis

   10 June 2009

   More than 100 million girls are involved in child labour worldwide, according to a new ILO report for World Day against Child Labour 2009. The report warns that the global financial crisis could push an increasing number of children, particularly girls, into child labour. ILO Online reports from Moscow where migrant workers and their children are the first to be hit by the crisis.