HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in Africa

Components of a Multistakeholder Action Plan

Geneva Social ObservatoryNovember 2005

Geneva Social Observatory37-39, Rue de Vermont / Case Postale 22

1211 Geneva 20, SwitzerlandTel: +41.22.734.96.01 Fax: +41.22.734.96.02

HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in Africa

• The Geneva Social Observatory

• Context and concerns

• Advocacy

• Improving working conditions

• Partnerships and entry points for action

• Policy action items

The Geneva Social Observatory

• A multistakeholder forum for dialogue on social issues– UN agencies -Trade unions – Governments -NGOs– Private sector -Academia

• Theme of HIV/AIDS and social responsibility– Focus on the informal economy in Africa– Mapping exercise– Umbrella action plan

GSO Participating Groups• Private sector groups (GBC, Global Health

Initiative, IFPMA, IOE, WASME)• Private sector companies (Merck, Nestlé, Pfizer,

Shell)• Trade unions (ICFTU, UNI)• NGOs (PharmAccess, Red Cross, YWCA)• Multilateral agencies (Global Fund, ILO,

UNAIDS, WHO, World Bank)• Governments (Germany, the Netherlands,

Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden, Switz.)

HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in Africa

The GSO Multistakeholder Plan

• Context and concerns

• Advocacy

• Improving working conditions

• Policy action items

• Partnerships and entry points for action

Context and Concerns/1

• Lack of or limited participatory processes

• Weak framework for social dialogue

• Absence or limited number of representational organizations

• Small, scattered workplaces

• Lower average literacy than formal sector

• Higher proportion of women and youth

Context and Concerns/2

• Unsafe hygiene and working conditions• High level of poverty• Lack of or inadequate legal protection• Inadequate health care coverage• Focus on daily survival• Inadequate access to credit, property rights• Inadequate access to skills development• High mobility

Advocacy

• The general parameters

• Information and awareness programmes

• Training and behavioural change programmes

HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy – Advocacy/1

• Different approach than formal economy

• Combined with poverty reduction strategies

• Government leadership– Important role of local governments– Information sharing– Building trust

HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy – Advocacy/2

• Key aspects for effective communication– Gender issues– Immediate survival concerns– Working around the absence of social

dialogue in the workplace– Adapting to high degrees of mobility– Identifying and training peer educators

HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy – Advocacy/3

• Targeted approach for women

• Behaviours for prevention

• Empowerment for negotiating and protection

• Information about VCT and health services

Information and Awareness Programmes/1

• Types of Communications – Mass communication through radio– Oral and pictographic messages

• Music, drama, videos• Posters

– T-shirts and other daily products– Athletes, performers and other celebrities– People to people exchanges

Information and Awareness Programmes/2

• Networking opportunities– Informal sector associations – People living with HIV and AIDS– Government support and leadership– Specific linkages with the formal sector– FBOs and religious leaders– Existing coalitions of NGOs

Information and Awareness Programmes/3

• Important role of peer educators

• Mobilizing other groups with credibility– Teachers– Faith based organizations– Traditional healers

• Awareness of significance of home-based caregivers

Training and Behavioural Change Programmes/1

• Sector-specific sensitivities supplemented with

• Cross-sectoral strategies

• Taking into account human rights – Strategies to deal with stigma and

discrimination– Gender issues

Improving Working Conditions

• General issues

• Counselling and testing services

• Care and support possibilities

Improving Working Conditions – General Issues/1

• Forming and reinforcing informal sector associations

• Building worker capacity to address HIV/AIDS issues

• Incentives for community-based solutions

• Ensuring a voice to address governments

Improving Working Conditions – General Issues/2

• Linkages with employers and workers organizations and community structures

• Mobilize formal businesses to extend their workplace programmes to informal sub-contractors, suppliers and networks

• Identify specific entrepreneurial opportunities and skills training

• Emphasis on education and training for women and youth

Improving Working Conditions – Care and Support Possibilities

• Self-help groups

• Community-wide planning– Alliances across sectors– Involving people living with HIV and AIDS

• Linking up with traditional caregivers

• Basic livelihood support

• Support for orphans

• New types of health delivery

Policy Action Items

• General

• Governments

• Social partners, business coalitions, NGOs and others

• Information and research

• General

Policy Action Items - General

• Fighting poverty alongside the struggle against HIV/AIDS

• Broader socio-economic conditions inherent in the informal economy

• Comprehensive mapping exercise of information on existing conditions, case studies and programs involving the informal economy

Policy Action Items - Governments

• National coordinating mechanisms should integrate a voice for the informal economy

• Governments should integrate a focus on the informal economy in national development strategies

• Governments should prepare specific analyses of informal sector impact

Policy Action Items – Social Partners

• Social partners, private sector coalitions and others should develop partnering strategies with the informal economy

• NGOs should organize pressure groups to work with governments on the informal economy

• ILO Code for HIV/AIDS in the Workplace should be adapted to informal economy

Policy Action Items - Research

• Monitoring and evaluation with a focus on impact on informal economy

• Changes in legal and political framework

• How to create an investment climate oriented to the informal economy

Entry Points for Action

• ILO perspective

• Government perspective

• Trade union perspective

• Business perspective

• NGO perspective

• Donor perspective

• GSO perspective

Entry Points: Government Perspective

The proposed entry points for government are:

• Community-based leadership and commitment

• Basic services (water, sanitation, police)

• Integration of informal sector voice into national planning

• Legal reforms, including gender equality

Entry Points: Business Perspective

The proposed entry points for business are:

• Implementation of existing company policies

• Development of co-investment arrangements to protect and maintain the workforce

• Business outreach to the community that is both beneficial and sustainable

Entry Points: NGO Perspective

The proposed entry points for NGOs are:

• Micro credit programmes for women

• NGOs themselves play an important role in the community

• National governments role as service provider

Entry Points; Donor Perspective

The proposed entry points for donors are:

• Fuller inclusion of HIV/AIDS with workable implementation plans in national governments’ poverty reduction strategy papers

• Better management of disbursement of funds

• More knowledge about the informal sector

Entry Points: Trade Union Perspective

The proposed entry points for trade unions are:• Creating awareness amongst members,

particularly amongst women• Outreach to workers in the informal sector

through existing trade unions by industry and encouraging them to form their own associations

• Workshops including traditional healers to counter erroneous beliefs about HIV/AIDS

Entry Points: ILO Perspective

The proposed entry points for ILO are:– Small businesses, start-up, training, etc.– Employers, development of workplace

policies– Women entrepreneurs– Gain greater knowledge of the informal

economy through mapping

Entry Points for Action by the GSO

• Mapping exercise continued• Revised action plan • Develop an empowerment plan• Continued and expanded networking• Interactive website• Dissemination of good practices• Assist development of new projects and

programmes