Working Together
Against Child Labour

In the spirit of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) concrete contributions to the World Summit for Social Development (1995) and its foloow up through “Geneva 200”, STEP is an operational tool to promote the extension of social protection for men and women workers in the informal economy. STEP aims to bolster the confidence of the excluded so that they realize that not only do they have the right to seek basic human security and universal and equitable access to social protection services, but that they also have the ability.

The main elements of the project include:

• Capacity building interventions (women-specific when required ) and motivate community participation in the implementation of selected health micro- insurance schemes that are set up by local structures;
• Strengthen the collaboration and partnership between and among national government agencies, trade unions, private sector and civil society in further developing the concept and operations of viable health micro- insurance schemes with suitable benefit-packages for poor women and their family members;
• Conduct gender sensitive action-research and prepare case studies that will showcase how the different types of community-based health insurance schemes are successful in improving access of women workers and their families to health care services (preventive care, primary health care, drugs and hospitalization and maternity services) and facilities; and
• Dissemination of gained experience (through meetings, advocacy and information materials) to local partners and to the national health agencies involved in the implementation of the health reform process in the present national health insurance plans (especially for the Philippines) to consider and include alternative schemes of extending social protection for workers in the informal economy.

The project has the overall objective to eradicate the worst forms of abuse of domestic workers in Asia, through an integrated programme of legal regulation, capacity building, organization, and self-representation.

Project Components:

• Legal and policy environment recognizing and valuing domestic work
• Advocacy and research to broaden understanding of the trafficking and forced labour of domestic workers
• Outreach and empowerment for domestic workers to enhance their rights and voice
• Capacity building for government, worker, and employer representatives
• Strengthening interventions to reduce the trafficking and forced labour of domestic workers, as well as to protect and rehabilitate the domestic workers who have suffered these abuses

In Mindanao, the ILO has worked through its proven partnership with government agencies and local organization in providing community-based skills development and enterprise development projects and programmes. Through this initiative, target communities especially vulnerable groups such as youth, women, indigenous peoples, and peoples with disabilities are given immediately usable and relevant skills, entrepreneurial capacity and access to credit.

The objective of the project is to contribute to lasting peace and development in Mindanao by providing assistance to poor and disadvantaged sectors in expanding their economic opportunities and income security through workforce training and employment creation.

Project Components

• Developing institutional and staff capability of partner agencies and organizations including traget groups in the communities.
• Provision of skill and entrepreneurship training to target groups and other beneficiaries.
• Organizing Corporate Community Groups (CCG) and installing Community Enterprise System (CES)and Community Fund (Co-Fund)
• Development and enhancement of the methodology and related strategies

The development objective of INDISCO is to contribute to the strengthening of individual and collective self-reliance and empowerment among indigenous and tribal peoples, within the framework of Decent Work, through the promotion of their fundamental rights as well as their social, cultural and economic advancement.

Depending on the needs and priorities of the partner communities, the INDISCO adopts in varying degrees the following general components:

• Institution Building - Strengthening and establishing culturally- anchored community organizations and organizational management systems and procedures.
• Capability Building - Improving individual and collective capacities through comprehensive generally informal skills development training;
• Preservation and Promotion of the Indigenous Culture – Facilitating community-driven participatory documentation and incorporation of significant aspects of the indigenous culture, especially indigenous knowledge systems and practices, into the development process.
• Promotion of Decent Employment and Income Opportunities - Strengthening community systems for increasing family income and employment opportunities through the delivery of strategic support services geared towards encouraging individual and collective entrepreneurship.
• Environment and Natural Resources Protection and Rehabilitation - Strengthening culturally-inspired community mechanisms for protecting and rehabilitating the environment and natural resources within ancestral domains.
• Promotion of Gender Equality - Enhancing the role of women and men in the development process by facilitating the establishment of culturally- responsive community mechanisms for increasing gender awareness and sensitivity.

The main objective of the InfRES Project is to increase incomes in the rural areas and to contribute to the alleviation of poverty. In addition, the project aims to improve and support the devolved management of such projects through effective capacity building. Every attempt will be made both develop capacity of the LGUs and to optimize the use of local resources.

Objectives:

• Remove the constraints to the improvement of agricultural productivity caused by lack or inadequancy of rural infrastructure
• Reduce rural poverty by increasing agricultural productivity and profitability.
  
  

The situation of the Philippines in similar to global situation whereby ILO estimates that there are 21 Filipinos between the ages 15-30; 12 million of which are either employed or actively seeking employment. Young people are underutilized assets.

Thus, the project envisions:

• To have a prosperous economy driven by small and medium sized enterprises
• To have a culture where Innovation and Creativity is the norm rather than the exception
• To have a society that looks at entrepreneurship as the preferred option for employment
• To create generations of youth enterprise champions