Gender Employment, and the Informal Economy: Glossary of Terms

Subject

This glossary was prepared as a compendium to the publications from the regional initiative on “Gender Equality and Workers’ Rights in the Informal Economies of Arab States”, and complements the country case studies (Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Yemen), the regional overview, and policy briefs. It aims to compile up-to-date definitions of key concepts relevant to the discussion generated by the regional initiative from the most authoritative sources, for use by government agencies, workers' and employers' organizations, research and academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and international agencies working on development, employment, gender equality and workers’ rights issues in the region. It thus relies on texts from the International Labour Conference, the International Conferences of Labour Statisticians, International Labour Standards, and other sources. These sources are complemented by key publications and online sources pertaining to gender, employment, social protection, and organizing of informal workers. The glossary was deemed necessary based on the feedback that the ILO/CAWTAR initiative received from regional constituents on the need to clarify concepts, help overcome terminological confusion related to ‘informality’, and move the discussion forward in Arab States.