[asia-apec 1769] Work on Women Workers in the Informal Sector - Research and Information

[Kevin Yuk-shing Li]

----- Original Message -----
From: Sujata Gothoskar <sujatagothoskar at hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 4:31 PM
Subject: Work on Women Workers in the Informal Sector -- Research and
Information

Dear friends,

As you would know, Committee for Asian Women (CAW) has been actively concerned
with issues of women workers. Women workers in the informal sector are a
growing number and are one of the most vulnerable sections of society.  The
recent changes in the economic and political structure of the global economy
have had an impact, most often negative, on these sections of society. On the
other hand, there has been a spurt of organising efforts of a very varied kind
in the informal sector. In order to map these twin processes - the impact as
well as organising efforts at the region level, CAW is thinking of organising
a regional level workshop as well as conducting small research projects to
fill in some gaps in information. We would also like to see these efforts
result in negotiating some space for informal sector women workers in the
national legislation and regional and international forums. We would like to
involve our network groups as well as other groups working with informal
sector women workers in this process.

Objectives of the proposed research projects:
To decipher new areas and new sections of women workers emerging in the
current context.
To understand the situation of different sections of women workers in the
informal sector.
To map out the organising efforts and strategies of women workers'
organizations, trade unions, NGOs etc., in the informal sector.

Objectives of the workshop:
To understand the situation of different sections of women workers in the
informal sector.
To map out the organising efforts and strategies of women workers'
organizations in the informal sector.
To contribute to a process of sharing and solidarity building of women
workers' organizations in the informal and formal sector.
To contribute to the process of campaigning, advocacy and lobbying on the
issues that concern and are in the interest of women workers, especially in
the informal sector.

Expected outcome:
Bringing out material on the situation of women workers in the informal sector
in the region. Networking among organizations working with women workers in
the informal sector. Contributing to the ILO proceedings on the informal
sector, which is due for discussion in June 2002.

In order to prepare well for this regional workshop, we need to involve as
many organizations working with informal sector women workers, some new ones
too that have not been contacted by us as yet. Could you please help by
sending us the names and addresses of organizations you know and also by
sending us the required information in the two accompanying questionnaires as
soon as possible? Please do send us this information as early as possible - by
the 15th June 2001 would be ideal. This would help us to work well and
efficiently towards making the regional workshop a success.

Could you please write to me at the following address:
Sujata Gothoskar-Kanhere
Committee for Asian Women
Operating office: 1347, 17-B, MHB Colony,
Tata Power House Road,
Borivali (East), Mumbai - 400066
Telephone: 91-22-886 8329
Fax: 91-22-865 0651 or 91-22-886 3493//1967//3946
E-mail: caw2 at usa.net or sujatagothoskar at hotmail.com or
sujatagothoskar at yahoo.com

Thank you.

In solidarity and with regards,

Sujata Gothoskar

Programme Officer
Committee for Asian Women


Questionnaire for Organizations - Information about Informal Sector Organising

1. Name of the organization
2. Address / telephone / fax / e-mail:
3. Contact persons:
4. Number of years the organization has been in existence:
5. Type of organization: Trade union / NGO / Co-operative / Association /
Federation / member- based / any other type

Please fill the following table:
6. Section of women workers
7. Sector they belong to
8. Number of members

Direct employees -
Casual, Daily & Part-time workers
Indirect workers / employees -
Dispatch, Sub-contract workers
Workers in workplaces with less than 5 workers
Irregular workers / Temporary workes
Un-recognized workers

Agriculture
For example, tea plantations or rice



Construction



Homebased
For example, garments, etc



Street vendors
For example, products they sell



Rag-pickers



Small-scale factories
For example, chemicals



Contract workers
For example, engineering



Domestic workers


Forest workers


9. Type of activities the organization is involved in?
a. organising,
b. bargaining,
c. marketing,
d. production,
e. social security,
f. any other

10. Are you a part of or affiliated to any Federation / Association?
11. Are you a part of or affiliated to any Network - national, regional or
international?
12. Which ones?  Name and addresses?
13. Since how long?
14. Name and addresses of other organizations working with women workers in
the informal sector.

Questionnaire for network groups and other groups about the current situation:

1. What are the main issues facing women workers in the informal sector in
your country in the 2000s?
2. Could you list it in terms of the most important to the less important?

Please fill out the following table:
3. Proportion of women workers - informal sector out of total employed
workforce
4. Proportion of men workers - informal sector out of total employed workforce
5. Proportion of women workers - formal sector out of total employed workforce
6. Proportion of men workers - formal sector out of total employed workforce

7. What are the legal provisions and enactments that cover the informal sector
workers?
8. What are the social security schemes that cover workers -
a. unemployment benefits
b. health
c. accident
d. insurance
e. any other

9. Which government department in your country deals with the following
information:
a. Rate of unemployment in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s?
b. Proportion of people living below the poverty level in the 1980s, 1990s and
2000s?
c. Proportion of men and women workers in the informal sector?
d. Proportion of men and women workers in agriculture, manufacturing and the
service sector?
e. Proportion of men and women workers in unions?

10. Would you have the above information or would you be able to acquire and
send it to CAW?