ILO asks govts to give rural women workers decent work

THE head of the International Labor Organization (ILO) called for decent work for rural women workers—who comprise 43 percent of the agriculture labor force in developing countries—to address lingering global poverty and poverty.

ILO Director General Juan Somavia said women who work as farmers, wage laborers and entrepreneurs also take responsibilities taking care of children and elderly. These multiple roles being played by women have a fundamental role to play in the rural development.

But he lamented that although women take equal share of jobs and other responsibilities, “they are paid less than men and often lag behind in access to education, training, technologies and mobility.”

He said many women workers often work longer hours than men in both paid and unpaid jobs.

“Much of their work remains unrecognized because it is not remunerated and confined to the domestic sphere. With a continuing economic crisis it is expected that in most countries women’s unpaid work is likely to increase, diminishing their ability to engage in productive activities,” said Somavia.

The ILO chief raised the concern during the UN celebration of the International Women’s Day where he called for decent work for women who play crucial role in the development of poor communities.

He said women comprise around 43 percent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and more than 70 percent of the labor force in some agriculture-intensive economies.

Somavia said rural women everywhere face gender-related constraints that limit their access to decent work as well as their productivity. He said that the entire family of poor communities stand to benefit if women workers are given equal opportunity to realize their potential and decent jobs.

The Philippines is one of developing countries with high number of women in rural jobs but not getting decent pay.

The country is also lagging behind in the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations, in terms of improving maternal health owing to the high number of mothers who die giving birth.

He said improving women’s conditions and their families rely on the governments’ actions to improve their productive capacity through decent jobs and control over their productive resources.

“It is time for change and it is timely to recall that there is a decent work route out of poverty,” said Somavia.

The ILO chief said among the measures governments must take include respect for freedom from discrimination as a fundamental right supported by all policies affecting the rural sector and guarantee freedom of association, organization to give  strength and voice to rural women.

He said governments should also ensure that young girls are equally kept in schools along with boys up to the minimum age for entry into employment to prevent them from becoming victims of child labor.

Somavia said women should be engaged in productive activities and not just be confined to their domestic responsibilities. These include access to education and training, opening up their access to productive resources and expanding employment opportunities, including through support for rural enterprises, infrastructural development and in promoting rural green jobs.

He said a decent work approach can go a long way toward closing the gender gap in agriculture and enabling rural women to work out of poverty. –Estrella Torres / Reporter, Businessmirror