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Reduced working hours and more flexible working time arrangements, such as those used during the Covid-19 crisis, can bring benefits for economies, businesses and workers, such as greater productivity and improved work-life balance, a new report released by the <keyword id="240184" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-labour-organization" source="Orion">International Labour Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="6456249" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ilo" source="Orion">ILO</keyword>) released. The report, titled '<keyword id="15995305" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="working-time-and-work-life-balance-around" source="Orion">Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around</keyword> the World', is the first of its kind. It provides a comprehensive review of both main aspects of working time -- working hours and working time arrangements -- and their effects on workers' work-life balance, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the report, a substantial portion of the global workforce is now working either long or short hours when compared to a standard eight-hour day or 40-hour working week. More than one-third of all workers are regularly working more than 48 hours per week, while a fifth of the global workforce is working short hours of less than 35 hours per week. The Covid-19 crisis measures yielded powerful new evidence that giving workers more flexibility in how, where and when they work can be positive both for them and for business, for example by improving productivity, the report said. Inclusive short-time work schemes with the highest possible allowances not only maintain employment but also sustain purchasing power and create the possibility of cushioning the effects of economic crises, the report emphasized, adding that public policy responses are needed to promote reductions in hours of work in many countries to promote both a healthy work-life balance and improved productivity. "There is a substantial amount of evidence that work-life balance policies provide significant benefits to enterprises, supporting the argument that such policies are a 'win-win' for both employers and employees," the report stated. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/air-india-issues-show-cause-notices-de-rosters-4-cabin-crew-1-pilot/articleshow/96812818.cms">Air India issues show cause notices, de-rosters 4 cabin crew, 1 pilot</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/this-startup-is-using-abandoned-gas-pipelines-from-1800s-to-ease-telecom-traffic-via-network-as-a-service/articleshow/96809621.cms">This startup is using abandoned gas pipelines from 1800s to ease telecom traffic via network as a service</a>

Flexible working hours can benefit productivity, work-life balance: ILO

In its latest report, the Geneva-based <keyword id="240184" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-labour-organization" source="Orion">International Labour Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="6456249" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ilo" source="Orion">ILO</keyword>) said that 50 million people were living in <keyword id="1978296" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="modern-slavery" source="Orion">modern slavery</keyword> in 2021. According to the latest report by the UN agency titled, 'Global Estimates of Modern Slavery', 28 million of these people were in forced labour and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years -- 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable, says the report. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labour and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries. Regarding forced labour, most cases (86 per cent) are found in the private sector. According to the report, forced labour in sectors other than commercial sexual exploitation accounts for 63 per cent of all forced labour, while forced commercial sexual exploitation represents 23 per cent of all forced labour. Almost four out of five of those in forced commercial sexual exploitation are women or girls. State-imposed forced labour accounts for 14 per cent of people in forced labour. Almost one in eight of all those in forced labour are children (3.3 million). More than half of these are in commercial sexual exploitation. The report says that an estimated 22 million people were living in forced marriage on any given day in 2021 -- an increase of 6.6 million since the 2016 global estimates. "It is shocking that the situation of modern slavery is not improving. Nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights," said ILO Director-General, <keyword id="1074528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="guy-ryder" source="Orion">Guy Ryder</keyword>. <keyword id="6669543" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="antonio-vitorino" source="Orion">Antonio Vitorino</keyword>, IOM Director-General, said: "This report underscores the urgency of ensuring that all migration is safe, orderly, and regular. Reducing the vulnerability of migrants to forced labour and trafficking in persons depends first and foremost on national policy and legal frameworks that respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, and potential migrants, at all stages of the migration process, regardless of their migration status." SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/retail-inflation-is-high-due-to-food-prices-and-an-adverse-base-effect-says-fin-min/articleshow/94167561.cms">Retail inflation is high due to food prices and an adverse base effect says Fin Min</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/a-fire-at-an-ev-showroom-has-killed-8-several-injured-while-trying-to-escape/articleshow/94167880.cms">A fire at an EV showroom has killed 8, several injured while trying to escape</a>

50 million people worldwide in modern slavery: ILO

Geneva [Switzerland], June 29 (ANI): Aspartame, one of the world's most common artificial sweeteners, is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a leading global health body, pitting it against the food industry and regulators, reported Reuters. Aspartame is used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum and some snapple drinks. The <keyword id="665762" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-agency-for-research-on-cancer" source="Orion">International Agency for Research on Cancer</keyword> (IARC) and the <keyword id="43588" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="Orion">World Health Organization</keyword>'s (WHO) cancer research arm will list it as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" for the first time in July, according to two sources with knowledge of the process. Following a meeting of the group's external experts earlier this month, the IARC ruling is intended to assess whether something is a potential hazard or not, based on all the published evidence. It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume. This advice for individuals comes from a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, known as the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization's Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), alongside determinations from national regulators, Reuters reported. In the past, similar IARC rulings for different substances have raised concerns among consumers about their use, led to lawsuits, and pressured manufacturers to recreate recipes and swap for alternatives. This has led to criticism that the IARC's assessments can be confusing to the public. JECFA and the WHO committee on additives are also reviewing aspartame use this year. Its meeting began at the end of June and is due to announce its findings on the same day that the IARC makes public its decision on July 14, as per Reuters. Since 1981, JECFA has said aspartame is safe to consume within accepted daily limits. For example, an adult weighing 60 kg (132 pounds) would have to drink between 12 and 36 cans of diet soda - depending on the amount of aspartame in the beverage - every day to be at risk. Its view has been widely shared by national regulators, including in the United States and Europe. An IARC spokesperson said both the IARC and JECFA committees' findings were confidential until July. But they added that they were "complementary", with IARC's conclusion representing "the first fundamental step to understand carcinogenicity". The additives committee "conducts risk assessment, which determines the probability of a specific type of harm (e.g., cancer) to occur under certain conditions and levels of exposure," Reuters reported. Whereas, industry and regulators fear that holding both processes at around the same time could be confusing, according to letters from U.S. and Japanese regulators seen by Reuters. Nozomi Tomita, an official from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare wrote in a letter on March 27 to WHO's deputy director general, Zsuzsanna Jakab, "We kindly ask both bodies to coordinate their efforts in reviewing aspartame to avoid any confusion or concerns among the public." The letter also called for the conclusions of both bodies to be released on the same day, as is now happening. The Japanese mission in Geneva, where the WHO is based, did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters. However, Frances Hunt-Wood, the secretary general of the <keyword id="17858097" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-sweeteners-association" source="Orion">International Sweeteners Association</keyword> (ISA) said, "IARC is not a food safety body and their review of aspartame is not scientifically comprehensive and is based heavily on widely discredited research," The body, whose members include <keyword id="6042988" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mars-wrigley" source="Orion">Mars Wrigley</keyword>, a Coca-Cola unit and Cargill, said it had "serious concerns with the IARC review, which may mislead consumers". Kate Loatman, the International Council of Beverages Associations' Executive Director said public health authorities should be "deeply concerned" by the "leaked opinion", and also warned it "could needlessly mislead consumers into consuming more sugar rather than choosing safe no-and low-sugar options," Reuters reported. Aspartame has been extensively studied for years. Last year, an observational study in France among 100,000 adults showed that people who consumed larger amounts of artificial sweeteners including aspartame had a slightly higher cancer risk, according to Reuters. Furthermore, it followed a study from the <keyword id="17858098" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ramazzini-institute" source="Orion">Ramazzini Institute</keyword> in Italy in the early 2000s, stating that some cancers in mice and rats were linked to aspartame. However, the first study could not prove that aspartame caused the increased cancer risk. The questions were raised about the methodology of the second study, including by EFSA, which assessed it, reported Reuters. The IARC said it had assessed 1,300 studies in its June review. Aspartame is authorized for use globally by regulators who have reviewed all the available evidence. Also, major food and beverage makers have for decades defended their use of the ingredient. The soft drinks giant Pepsico tweaked recent recipes which demonstrated the struggle the industry has when it comes to balancing taste preferences with health concerns. Pepsico removed aspartame from sodas in 2015, bringing it back a year later, but removed it again in 2020, according to Reuters. Sources close to the IARC said that Aspartame has been listed as a possible carcinogen which is intended to motivate more research, which will help agencies, consumers and manufacturers draw firmer conclusions. But it will also likely ignite debate once again over the IARC's role, as well as the safety of sweeteners more generally. Last month, the WHO published guidelines and advised consumers to not use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. The guidelines caused an uproar in the food industry, which argues that they can be helpful for consumers wanting to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, reported Reuters. (ANI)

WHO's views on sweetener Aspartame may pit it against the food industry and regulators

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Working 55 hours or more a week was linked to 745,000 deaths from strokes and <keyword id="22908" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="heart-disease">heart disease</keyword> in 2016, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002208">WHO report said</a>. </li><li>More than 70% of people <keyword id="6366244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="who">who</keyword> died were men, middle-aged and older, and from South East Asia or Western Pacific regions.</li><li>The <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic is accelerating the trend towards working longer hours, the WHO said. </li></ul>Long working hours contributed to 745,000 deaths globally in 2016, a 29% increase since 2000, according to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002208">joint study</a> by the <keyword id="43588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization">World Health Organization</keyword> (WHO) and <keyword id="240184" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="International-Labour-Organization">International Labour Organization</keyword>.The study found that working 55 hours or more a week was linked to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/long-working-hours-are-killer-who-study-shows-2021-05-17/">35% increase in the risk of stroke and 17% higher risk of deadly heart disease</a>, compared to working a 35 to 40-hour week. Researchers took data from more than <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo">2,300 surveys conducted between 1970 to 2018</a> to estimate the proportion of people exposed to long working hours in different countries, and combined this with meta analyses showing the relative risk of developing heart disease and <keyword id="25191" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stroke">stroke</keyword>.The total number of deaths attributable to longer working hours were then calculated using the <a href="https://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates/en/">WHO Global Health Estimates data</a>, which recorded causes of death among the global population between 2000 and 2016.Deaths related to longer working hours usually occurred later in life, sometimes decades after people had retired, researchers said.Nearly three quarters of people who died were men who were middle-aged and older. People living in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, a region that includes China, Japan and Australia, were the most at risk of dying from heart disease and stroke associated with working long hours, researchers said.The WHO said that <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo">9% of the world work long hours</a>, and that the COVID-19 pandemic was "accelerating developments" towards longer working hours."Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the boundaries between home and work," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo">in a statement</a>. "In addition, many businesses have been forced to scale back or shut down operations to save money, and people who are still on the payroll end up working longer hours."

745,000 deaths a year can be linked to long working weeks of 55 hours or more, a WHO study suggests

<keyword id="9990214" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-labour-income">Global labour income</keyword> is estimated to have declined by 10.7 per cent or USD 3.5 trillion in the first three quarters of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, <keyword id="9300814" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-international-labour-organization">the International Labour Organization</keyword> (ILO) said on Wednesday. "The devastating losses in working hours caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought a 'massive' drop in <keyword id="1181915" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour-income">labour income</keyword> for workers around the world," the ILO said in its latest assessment of the effects of the pandemic on the world of work. <keyword id="9990215" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-labour">Global labour</keyword> income is estimated to have declined by 10.7 per cent or USD 3.5 trillion in the first three quarters of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. This figure excludes the income support provided through government measures. The ILO said the biggest drop was in the lower-middle income countries, where the <keyword id="6356897" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour">labour</keyword> income losses reached 15.1 per cent, with the Americas being the hardest hit region at 12.1 per cent. The ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work sixth edition also estimates that global working hour losses in the first nine months of 2020 have been "considerably larger" than previously estimated. The revised estimate of the global working time lost in the second quarter of this year (compared to Q4 2019) is for 17.3 per cent, equivalent to 495 million full time equivalent (FTE) jobs. The working-hour losses are expected to remain high in the third quarter of 2020, at 12.1 per cent or 345 million FTE jobs. The outlook for Q4 has worsened significantly since the last ILO Monitor was issued. Under the ILO's baseline scenario, global working-hour losses are now projected to amount to 8.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 (compared to Q4 2019), which corresponds to 245 million FTE jobs. This is an increase from the ILO's previous estimate of 4.9 per cent or 140 million FTE jobs. The ILO said a reason for the estimated increases in working-hour losses is that workers in developing and emerging economies, especially those in informal employment, have been much more affected than by past crises. It also notes that the drop in employment is more attributable to inactivity than unemployment, with important policy implications. "While many stringent workplace closures have been relaxed, there are significant variations between regions. 94 per cent of workers are still in countries with some sort of workplace restrictions and 32 per cent are in countries with closures for all but essential workplaces," the agency said. Workers in developing nations had also seen their income drop by more than 15 per cent, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told journalists in Geneva. "On top of this, these are the places where there are the weakest social protection systems, so there are very few resources or protections for working people to fall back upon," he said. "If you look at it regionally, the Americas were worst-affected, with losses of 12.1 per cent." Ryder said while the governments of richer countries had shored up their economies with hundreds of billions of dollars, poorer nations had been unable to do the same. Without such fiscal stimulus, working hours losses would have been 28 per cent between April and June, instead of 17.3 per cent, he added. In order for developing countries to reach the same ratio of stimulus to working hours lost as in high-income countries, they would need to inject a further USD 982 billion (USD 45 billion in low-income countries and USD 937 billion in lower-middle income countries). The stimulus gap for low-income countries amounts to less than one per cent of the total value of the fiscal stimulus packages announced by high-income countries. This huge "fiscal stimulus gap" is even more worrying in the light of the social protection deficits in many developing countries. Moreover, some of these countries have also had to redirect public spending from other objectives in order to mitigate the labour market impact of the crisis, the ILO said. "Just as we need to redouble our efforts to beat the virus, so we need to act urgently and at scale to overcome its economic, social and employment impacts. That includes sustaining support for jobs, businesses and incomes," Ryder said. "As the <keyword id="6355833" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> General Assembly gathers in New York, there is a pressing need for the international community to set out a global strategy for recovery through dialogue, cooperation and solidarity. No group, country or region can beat this crisis alone," he added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/yes-bank-is-hiring-again-for-the-coming-year-after-workforce-shrinks-by-1000-since-march/articleshow/78287419.cms">EXCLUSIVE: YES Bank's workforce shrank by 1,000 employees since March but now it's hiring again for the coming year</a>

Global labour income estimated to have declined by $3.5 trillion in first 3 quarters of 2020, says ILO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_755875?lang=en">report</a> from the <keyword id="240184" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="International-Labour-Organization">International Labour Organization</keyword> details worse-than-expected damage in the global <keyword id="409455" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="labor-market">labor market</keyword> and forecasts pain lasting through the fourth-quarter of 2020.</li><li>The <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> agency expects working-hour losses to remain elevated through the third quarter at 12.1%, or 345 million full-time-equivalent jobs.</li><li>Global labor income is expected to shrink over the first three quarters of 2020 by 10.7%, or $3.5 trillion, the <keyword id="6456249" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ilo">ILO</keyword> added.</li><li>The bulk of the fallout landed among middle-income nations, the agency said.</li><li>The ILO projected fourth-quarter working-hour losses to reach 8.6%, up from the previous estimate of 4.9%.</li></ul>The coronavirus's labor-market hit has mostly been quantified by the amount of jobs lost and a rising <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment">unemployment</keyword> rate. The International Labour Organization — a United Nations agency — now projects the pandemic erased roughly $3.5 trillion in worker income year-to-date.The agency laid out its latest reading of the global labor market in a Wednesday <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_755875?lang=en">report</a>, highlighting lasting pain in the workforce while other economic indicators return to pre-pandemic highs.Working-hour losses are expected to remain elevated through the third quarter at 12.1%, or 345 million full-time-equivalent jobs, the ILO said. Those losses signal a global drop in labor income of 10.7% over the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the year-ago period.Second-quarter working-time losses landed above estimates. While the agency expected losses to reach 14%, or 400 million FTE jobs, Wednesday's report pegs the total at 17.3%, or 495 million FTE jobs.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trading-strategy-fx-legend-randy-mckay-7-rules-made-millions-2020-9">Legendary trader Randy McKay turned $2,000 into $70,000 in just 7 months. Here are the 7 trading rules that contributed to his multi-year run of million dollar-plus returns.</a>Labor income losses were highest in middle-income countries, the agency said. Lower-middle-income countries saw losses reach 15.1%, while upper-middle-income countries' losses hit 11.4%. To be sure, ILO's tally of wages lost doesn't include income regained from government support measures, such as the US's expansion of unemployment benefits. The agency estimates that increases to stimulus spending by 1% of gross domestic product would've shaved 0.8 percentage points from working-hour losses.Had no stimulus been passed, global working-hour losses could've rocketed as high as 28% in the second quarter, ILO added.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/investing-advice-stocks-to-buy-amid-sell-off-morgan-stanley-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buy these 15 stocks right now before they rally higher, says the Morgan Stanley equity chief who nailed his call for a short-term market meltdown</a>A global stimulus gap is also dragging lower- and middle-income nations' economies at a disproportionate rate, according to the report. ILO estimates that such countries need to pass another $982 billion in relief spending to match the aid seen in high-income nations. The stimulus gap is just 1% of the total value of stimulus packages passed by high-income countries, the agency noted.ILO's fourth-quarter outlook doesn't leave much room for optimism. ILO estimated working-hour losses to total 8.6% from the year-ago period, or roughly 245 million FTE jobs. That's up from a previous estimate of 4.9%, or 140 million FTE jobs.The worsening outlook comes as Congress all but entirely gives up on passing new stimulus. Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a compromise through September as both parties stood apart on bill sizing and program allocations. Senate Republicans' push to confirm a new Supreme Court justice also overshadowed plans to pass new fiscal relief.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stocks-to-buy-on-the-dip-3-companies-marc-chaikin-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Wall Street expert explains why the market's ongoing turbulence could end within 2 weeks — and pinpoints 3 stocks to grab cheaper now as big investors buy the dip</a>

Coronavirus fallout has erased $3.5 trillion in workforce income, UN agency says

Almost 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy, nearly half of the global workforce, face an immediate danger of losing their livelihoods due to the continued sharp decline in working hours because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the <keyword id="240184" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Labour-Organization">International Labour Organization</keyword> has said. More than 430 million <keyword id="600377" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="enterprises">enterprises</keyword> in hard-hit sectors such as retail and manufacturing risk "serious disruption", the UN agency added. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75463703" title="Coronavirus cases in India climb to 31,332— but a 45-day-old baby recovers" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The findings appear in the ILO Monitor third edition: COVID-19 and the world of work, released Wednesday. Globally, there are some 3.3 billion workers. Two billion have jobs in the informal economy, the most vulnerable workers in the labour market. The agency said 1.6 billion in the informal economy "have suffered massive damage to their capacity to earn a living" as a result of the economic meltdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to lockdowns or because they work in hard-hit sectors, these workers globally have seen a 60 per cent drop in income during the first month of the crisis, according to ILO estimates. This translates into a more than 80 per cent decline in Africa and the Americas, 70 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, and 21.6 per cent in Asia and the Pacific, the ILO said. ILO Director General Guy Ryder said as the pandemic and the jobs crisis evolve, the need to protect the world's most vulnerable workers becomes even more urgent. "For millions of workers, no income means no food, no security and no future. Millions of businesses around the world are barely breathing. They have no savings or access to credit," he said. "These are the real faces of the world of work. If we don't help them now, they will simply perish." The UN agency estimated that compared to the pre-crisis levels, there will be a 10.5 per cent deterioration in working hours during the second quarter (Q2) of the year, equivalent to 305 million full-time jobs. Previous projections had put the figure at 6.7 per cent, or 195 million full-time workers. The situation has worsened for all major regions, again compared to pre-crisis levels. Q2 estimates suggest a 12.4 per cent loss of working hours in the Americas, and 11.8 per cent for Europe and Central Asia. All other regions are above 9.5 per cent. The ILO added that the proportion of workers living in countries where workplace closures have been recommended, or required, has decreased from 81 per cent to 68 per cent over the past two weeks. While this is largely due to changes in China, measures have been stepped up elsewhere. At the same time, 436 million enterprises operating in wholesale and retail, manufacturing, accommodation, and other economic sectors that have been hardest hit, face "high risks of serious disruption". The ILO called for "urgent, targeted and flexible measures" to support both workers and business, particularly smaller enterprises and those in the informal economy. "Measures for economic reactivation should follow a job-rich approach, backed by stronger employment policies and institutions, better-resourced and comprehensive social protection systems. International coordination on stimulus packages and debt relief measures will also be critical to making recovery effective and sustainable. International labour standards, which already enjoy tripartite consensus, can provide a framework," it said. The ILO also stressed that international coordination on stimulus packages and debt relief measures will be critical to making recovery effective and sustainable. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75464348" title="Raghuram Rajan believes India must spend ₹65,000 crore to help the poor and the government can afford it" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Nearly half of global workforce at risk of losing livelihoods due to COVID says UN agency

<ul><li>The ‘Women March for change’ in 135 cities in India presses the need to pay attention to laws related to equality in election manifesto. </li><li>The idea of the march was to press the need to suppress “the growth of fascist and neo-liberal forces” in India. </li><li>All the policies formed were either anti-poor or anti-people that affected women the most, <a href="https://www.thequint.com/photos/women-march-for-change">claimed</a> one of the women activist groups that participated in the protest. </li></ul>With India’s general elections just days away, thousands of women from 135 cities across 20 states in the country came forward on Thursday to protest against the environment of hate and violence against minorities and to demand their constitutional rights. <keyword id="679464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-in-india">Women in India</keyword>’s capital were chanting slogans like ‘Halla Bol’, “Humme chahiye aazadi! We want freedom!,” ‘Awaaz Do’ and ‘Hum ek hai’ while marching from Mandi House to <keyword id="54512" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jantar-Mantar">Jantar Mantar</keyword>. The Women’s March for Change is aimed at uniting voices of dissent against the targeted attacks on the constitutional rights of women in India. Women want change. From war, violence and hate, but the starting point seemed to be the recognition of their many identities, said the organisers in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/womensmarch2019/">statement. </a> The idea of the march was to press the need to suppress “the growth of fascist and neo-liberal forces” in India resulting in an increase in violence against minorities, women and other minor groups including Muslims, Dalits and Christians have been subject to attacks creating an environment of fear and insecurity. “Over the past few years, there has been a significant decline in the laws dedicated to equality...women have been facing the heat of rural distress. All the policies formed were either anti-poor or anti-people that affected women the most,” <a href="https://www.thequint.com/photos/women-march-for-change">claimed</a> one of the women activist groups that participated in the protest. Women in India have to go through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-womens-day-indian-women-still-a-long-way-off-from-empowerment/articleshow/68313107.cms">a lot of struggle</a> to make a living or a career. According to the latest data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for 2017-18 (yet to be released), female participation in the workforce has <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/why-female-participation-in-workforce-is-on-the-decline-in-india/301207">declined to 23.3%</a> from 31.2 in 2011-12. It is a matter of grave concern as a greater number of women are participating in the examination for higher studies and competitive exams, reported Outlook. In fact, India features among the countries with lowest female share of workforce with only 25.9% share, said another study released by Pew Research Center in March 2017. Withdrawal of women from work is now being attributed as the primary reason for a fall in India’s workforce. India also has the <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/gender-wage-gap-highest-in-india-women-are-paid-30-less-than-men-ilo-118112701048_1.html">highest gender wage gap</a> when it comes to hourly wages for labour. Women in India are paid 35% less than what men are paid, said a recent report by the International Labour Organisation. The gender wage gap is recorded as the highest among all the 73 countries included in the report. See also : <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-womens-day-indian-women-still-a-long-way-off-from-empowerment/articleshow/68313107.cms">Women’s day in numbers: 9 grim reminders that Indian women are still a long way off from empowerment</a>

Indian women across 20 states protest against the ‘environment of hate’

<ul><li>On Friday, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> stated that the Indian economy has grown by 8.2% during <keyword id="6846461" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Q1-2018">Q1 2018</keyword>. </li><li>While this may make India the <keyword id="104231" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="fastest-growing-economy">fastest growing economy</keyword> in the world at present, the added benefits of a growing economy are not at par with that pace. </li><li>That being said, the growth numbers for India has resulted in a stronger rupee since the markets opened today morning.</li></ul>While the International Monetary Fund may have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-the-imf-revised-indias-growth-projection-and-why-it-doesnt-matter/articleshow/65024850.cms">revised</a> its estimates for India’s growth this year, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/india-s-economic-growth-continues-world-beating-pace-at-8-2">announced</a> that the Indian economy grew by 8.2% between the months of April to June. This puts India at the helm as the world’s fasting growing economy beating China’s top spot., which witnessed a growth of 6.7%. The Finance Minister tweeted that the reforms put in place by government as well as the fiscal prudence shown by the regulators that are allowing the economy to grow even in the midst of global turmoil. That being said, overtaking China might have a lot to do with the ongoing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-products-can-be-more-competitive-in-the-shadow-of-the-us-china-trade-war/articleshow/65294615.cms">trade war</a> between the Asian nation and the United States. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="arunjaitley" handlename="Arun Jaitley" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000828197225/f1d53aeab8f0534c7d73b0fbd5651130_normal.png" favoritecount="13245" retweetcount="3372" status="India’s GDP for the first quarter this year growing at 8.2% in otherwise an environment of global turmoil represent… https://t.co/1aVLJCOifl" createdat="1535725757000" id="1035534996877049856"></div>





 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="arunjaitley" handlename="Arun Jaitley" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000828197225/f1d53aeab8f0534c7d73b0fbd5651130_normal.png" favoritecount="3314" retweetcount="596" status="Reforms and fiscal prudence are serving us well. India is witnessing an expansion of the neo middle class." createdat="1535725836000" id="1035535329036525569"></div>





 The Economics Affairs Secretary, Subhash Chandra Garg, stated that India seems to be on track in its goal of meeting more than 7.5% growth for FY2018-19. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="SecretaryDEA" handlename="Subhash Chandra Garg" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/893364676943241217/sYceriFF_normal.jpg" favoritecount="338" retweetcount="83" status="Excellent growth performance in I qrtr. 8.2% overall growth, 13.5% growth in manufacturing and over 10% in capital… https://t.co/0MGgQHxxWh" createdat="1535723306000" id="1035524719074635776"></div>





 The driving forces behind this growth are the country’s manufacturing and the consistent increase in the demand of consumption goods. A report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/local-phone-manufacturing-saves-india-3-trillion-through-make-in-india/articleshow/65517201.cms">published</a> by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) analysed that the import substitution of cell phone manufacturing results in saving of ₹3 trillion for India. Growth without the benefits The main benefits of a growing economy, in theory, are employment generation, higher living standards, stimulating new investments, and a greater fiscal dividend. But the fact of the matter is that despite growth, the positive externalities are yet to present themselves. It’s not that jobs aren’t being created or that investments aren’t increasing, but their pace is at parity with the growth trajectory. The most recent report by the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-wage-growth-significantly-trails-economic-growth-says-the-ilo/articleshow/65488218.cms"> International Labour Organisation (ILO)</a> highlights how India’s growth hasn’t been inclusive with a gaping rural-urban divide as well as a gender-wage inequality. And, speaking of <keyword id="44749" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Foreign-Direct-Investment">foreign direct investment</keyword> (FDI), while there has been a steady increase, it’s important to remember that it’s largely <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/opinion/2018/05/18/where-is-all-the-fdi-into-india-really-coming-from-and-going-to#gs.hYSow9Y">due to</a> ‘preferential’ tax treaties between India and countries like Mauritius and Singapore. The top three sectors to gain from FDI have been services, telecommunications and computer services. While long-term benefits are yet to pick their pace, in the short run we can see that the rupee has already <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Money/PzIU47dwgmmKyIS2L8WdDP/Rupee-strengthens-against-US-dollar-after-GDP-beats-estimate.html">strengthened</a> against the dollar since the news of India’s growth broke on Friday. It has increased to trading at ₹70.84 a dollar from ₹71 a dollar at market opening on Monday.

India overtakes China to become the world’s fastest growing economy in Q1 2018

<ul><li>Women earn about 30% less than their male counterparts. </li><li>Overall, women in India make 67% less than the men. </li><li>India ranks 108th on the <keyword id="6372584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-equality">gender equality</keyword> ranking by the World Economic Forum.</li></ul>Gender equality is not a reality in India. While sincere attempts to make it so are in the ‘pipeline’ the present truth is - women in India are not considered ‘equals’ - either socially or economically. And here are some figures to highlight the economical part. According to a recent government <a href="http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/reports_and_publication/statistical_publication/social_statistics/WM17Chapter4.pdf">report</a>, men in India are earning almost about 30% more than the women, even if they have the same educational qualifications. According to <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_537846.pdf">The Global Wage Report of 2016-17</a> published by the <keyword id="240184" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Labour-Organization">International Labour Organization</keyword> in 2016, the <keyword id="4150884" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-wage-gap">gender wage gap</keyword> in India is at 30%, which is among the highest in the world. It’s 2018, and the situation does not seem to have improved too much. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) report states that a graduate woman earns nearly about 24% less than their male counterparts. A graduate man earns about ₹805 per day on an average, while a woman earns about ₹609 per day, on an average. The fact that education helps, shows in the fact that a graduate woman earns 5.8 times more than an illiterate woman and graduate men earn about 3.6 times more than illiterate men. Women in urban areas earn about ₹690.68 per day which is 7.7 times more than ₹88.2 women in rural areas earn per day. Women in rural areas earn the highest from construction while men are paid the highest in the mining and quarry sector. In urban areas, women are paid the highest in the public sectors like electricity, gas and water utility, according to the data. But then, as a counter to the gender wage gap, there are some sectors where women are paid more than the men. These sectors include transportation and construction in rural areas and transport and storage in urban areas. Transport and storage pays Rs 11 more to women than men on an average. Overall, women in India earn about 67% less than the men. According to the advisory from <a href="https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-45/Accenture-IWD-2017-Research-Getting-To-Equal.pdf">Accenture</a>, it will take more than 100 years to close this gender wage gap. A <a href="https://30percentclub.org/assets/uploads/UK/Third_Party_Reports/KFHG_Gender_Pay_Gap_whitepaper.pdf">report</a> published by advisory firm Korn Ferry Hay Group states that women working at high management posts in India are paid about 18% less than men. And this number has to do with the fact that there aren’t that many women in senior managerial roles across industries. In the gender equality ranking by the World Economic Forum India stood at 108, which is behind Bangladesh at 47 and China at 100. India in 2013 had the lowest rate of female employment among its neighbouring countries after Pakistan. We have said in an earlier <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-would-be-us550-billion-richer-if-it-just-increased-its-share-of-women-in-the-labor-force-by-10/articleshow/63974273.cms">piece</a> that “India would be US$550 billion richer if it just increased its share of women in the labour force by 10%”, so it is most definitely time to shake things up - for good.

Gender wage pay gap: Women graduate in India earns 24% less than her male counterpart

India <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> have come a long way in terms of establishing themselves as leaders, decision makers, bread earners, company representatives and entrepreneurs. These leaders are encouraging women to have a transformed lifestyle. We’re seeing women rising the ranks in business, technology and government from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. There’s been no better time to be a woman in India than right now. By and large, women are safer, more prosperous and have more opportunities than they ever had before. 
 
Recently when the world was showering praises on ISRO’s feat of launching 104 satellites, the untold story of the “Rocket Women” of India was also unfolding simultaneously. These brilliant women scientists have taken the Indian space programme to new heights. And they are not the only ones who have broken the glass ceiling to reach for the skies, literally, but every sector is witnessing an increasing presence of women in the boardroom. A case in point will be the banks or the technology companies where women now dominate the top roles. 
 
Women have never had it so good 
Long gone are the excusable days that women are not part of the corporate composition. According to the World Economic Forum, more than a quarter of a billion women have entered the labor force in the past 10 years, up from 1.5 billion to 1.75 billion worldwide. 
 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 of the <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> 2030 global agenda specifically sets out to achieve gender equality and female empowerment. And according to ADB, a tenant to the achievement of SDG 5 is the use of Information and Communications Technology. SDG 10 – Reducing Inequalities connects in equal measure to the active inclusion of women and girls in educational, social and economic spheres. It’s an inclusion that ICT effectively drives. 
 
Women have come a long way, still a long walk 
Despite accomplishments of women leaders from Asia, there are many hurdles to be crossed. For example, India has among the worst levels of gender wage disparity — men earning more than women in similar jobs — with the gap exceeding 30 per cent, according to the Global Wage Report 2016-17 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in December 2016. 
 Further at a regional level, Asia loses between US$16 billion to US$30 billion annually as a result of gender gaps in education and then employment. According to the <keyword id="240184" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Labour-Organization">International Labour Organization</keyword> (ILO) and ADB, the region reportedly loses between US$42 billion to US$47 billion annually due to women’s limited access to employment opportunities. 
 
Clearly, if more women were active participants in the economy, we all benefit. Eliminating gender disparity in the region would increase per capita income for all by 70% in roughly 60 years and that’s something everyone should be able to get behind. 
 
Women need to feel empowered and supported by their companies in order to put themselves forward for senior positions. Without this commitment and backing from the business community, the current imbalanced situation which the corporate sector is facing won’t change. According to the TimesJobs Job Outlook Survey 2016–17, an increased number of corporates in India will have a larger focus on gender diversity in 2017. Nearly 70 percent of organizations said they would be hiring more women in 2017 and 20 percent said that they would hire women professionals for CXO roles in the years to come. 
 
Technology to empower <keyword id="42463" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Women">Indian women</keyword> A 2016 report done by <keyword id="50041" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="KPMG">KPMG</keyword> found that communications technology, including mobile phones, promotes entrepreneurial activity of women, improving business practices overcoming gender barriers. This is corroborated by two thirds of working women who reported that having a mobile means they have, or would have, greater access to business and employment opportunities (GSMA). 
 
Over 110 million Indian women are active users of internet and it is growing at a rate of 46% every year, according to a report by Internet and Mobile Association of India and IMRB International. The internet’s ability to enable access and reduce cost barriers for such young female pioneers is essential in a world where remuneration inequalities still exist. With the right knowledge, a world of opportunity is at their fingertips—a world of female-empowered initiatives and gender neutral marketplaces—where outputs are judged solely on quality and void of predisposed discrimination. 
 
The steepest, but surest climb is in India 
The issue of women empowerment has never been more relevant in India. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, in India, the creation and growth of digital economies and women empowerment should go hand-in-hand. 
 
Telecom companies should provide the power of digital communication, enabling its female customers to improve their lives, build societies and secure a better future for all. Empowering women in societies and creating a positive local impact should be at the core of all actions. 
 
Digital innovation has the ability to bring more women and disenfranchised into the fold. It gives an opportunity to promote inclusive growth and rewrite society’s gender code now. The rise of female inclusion through digital innovation around the world will provide more gender neutral opportunities and mute, if not completely extinguish the age-old – and frankly no longer acceptable – narratives of “before”. 
 
(About the Author: This article has been contributed by Sharad Mehrotra, chief executive officer, Telenor (India) Communications) 
 
(Image Credits: Flickr)

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