6.3f Employment and labour conditions

Why applying this strategy?

Agriculture remains highly labour intensive. The value chain relies on unpaid, paid, permanent, seasonal, and temporary workers. Women benefit from paid employment with increased economic independence, improved bargaining power within the household, and personal empowerment.

What do you gain from using it (objectives)?

Increase gender equitable employment by the number of jobs and the quality of those jobs along the value chain

Gender Based Constraints (GBC) to be addressed

1.Women are constrained to employment in the agricultural sector
Causes/factors contributing:	Strategy:
The agricultural sector is marked by short term contracts with limited social protection. Women have limited assets, limited involvement in associations and lack protection and benefits.	Encourage sector-wide development of codes of conduct or employment standards. Encourage formal laws that promote gender equity in the workplace
2. Women have limited access to permanent jobs as well as management positions
Causes/factors contributing:	Strategy:
Beliefs and perceptions, lack of education and lack of access to training and skills development.	Partner with the private sector to upgrade women’s workforce skills

Tools to assist in applying the strategy

Open to suggestions

Example:

UNDP support Equality Seal

In Costa Rica, the UNDP supported the development of the Equality Seal (labor certification on gender equality). It is a voluntary certification process (ISO standards) for the private sector that verifies that a company is meeting standards that promote workplace equality for women and men. Fresquita Vegetales is a certified enterprise in Costa Rica that promotes gender equality in recruitment, remuneration, training opportunities, and labour rights. It provides medical services and has policies on sexual harassment and work-family balance, such as maternity leave and flexible schedules for pregnant and breast-feeding workers. A recent evaluation of Fresquita Vegetales provides evidence that the Equality Seal has increased labor productivity and a work environment free from discrimination and gender inequality.

Source: Ad Melkert. “Gender and Millennium Development Goals, ” October 2008, http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2008/october/ad-melkert-on-gender-andmillennium-development-goals-mdgs.en?src=print

6.3f Employment and labour conditions

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