Decent Work embodies within itself concepts of freedom, equity, security and dignity. ILO’s Decent Work Country Programmes in South Asia echo these principles to ensure promotion of equality and thereby eliminate forms of discrimination in the work place.
The socio-cultural-development contexts in South Asia share a continuum. The challenges of contract labour, home based work, casualization of labour, wage payments, working hours are prominent in South Asia. Added to this, certain groups are marginalized and discriminated against on the basis of gender, religion and social origin. Migrants, bonded and child labour, indigenous peoples, persons living with HIV-AIDS are other groups facing labour exploitation. Affirmative action (gender and caste based) is seen as a possible way out to plug certain forms of discrimination.
Gender based discrimination has been identified as one of the most acute forms of discrimination in South Asia. Globalization and democracy have not yet been successful in giving women their due in the world of work.
ILO’s interventions to address the above problems include the following:
- promotion of International Labour Standards policy and programmes to empower working poor in the informal economy;
- strategies for elimination of forced and child labour;
- protecting rights and identity of tribal groups; and
- tripartite approach to protect working people discriminated on the basis of sex, age, origin, race, religion or health.