Working Paper No. 20 - Globalization, social exclusion and work: with special reference to informal employment and gender

The paper analyses the process of social exclusion and inclusion of the working poor in developing countries, but focusing mostly on women. These processes include: the
terms of inclusion of paid workers in global production systems, the barriers to inclusion of the self-employed in global production systems, and the patterns of exclusion from domestic production systems associated with imports and other aspects of trade liberalization. The authors argue that global integration is a 'political' outcome, meaning that formulating the right policies can lead to a better and more just globalization. They recommend a mix of protective measures for paid workers, policy, regulatory, and institutional reforms, and promote the representation of informal workers/producers. Unfavourable patterns of exclusion/inclusion are seen as a cause of income poverty, so by applying the appropriate policies a fairer globalization can be reached.

This paper was written as an insight into the work of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization 2004 that aims to provide a fairer globalization for all.