HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in Africa

1. HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in Africa Components of a Multistakeholder Action Plan Geneva Social Observatory November 2005 Geneva Social Observatory 37-39, Rue de Vermont / Case Postale 22 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Tel: +41.22.734.96.01 Fax: +41.22.734.96.02

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.)

5. HIV/AIDS and the Informal Economy in AfricaThe GSO Multistakeholder Plan • Context and concerns • Advocacy • Improving working conditions • Policy action items • Partnerships and entry points for action

6. 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

7. 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

8. Advocacy • The general parameters • Information and awareness programmes • Training and behavioural change programmes

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Improving Working Conditions • General issues • Counselling and testing services • Care and support possibilities

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Policy Action Items • General • Governments • Social partners, business coalitions, NGOs and others • Information and research • General

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Entry Points for Action • ILO perspective • Government perspective • Trade union perspective • Business perspective • NGO perspective • Donor perspective • GSO perspective

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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