“Through job creation, quality public services and better working conditions, people, communities and countries can lift themselves out of poverty, improve livelihoods, engage in local development and live together in peace. This happens only when work is decent- environmentally sound and productive- provides fair wages, and is underpinned by rights.” [1]
-Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Tens of millions of people around the world still do not have access to employment. [2]
According to the statistics of the United Nations Development Program:
Sustainable Development Goals urge for steady economic growth, productivity and technology creativity levels increase. Sustainable Development Goal 8 seeks to: “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.”
For the International Labour Organization (ILO) Goal 8 includes the following priorities:
Also read: Sustainable Development Goal 6.
High economic growth leads to an increase in companies’ profits, which allows for more spending on research and development. This can lead to technological developments that would remove obstacles in many fields, for example; medical field improvements and more eco-friendly technologies development. In addition, sustainable economic growth increases trust and encourages companies to innovate and take risks. It was not a coincidence that the global economy witnessed the worst case of unemployment during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Unemployment is highly dependent on economic activity; in fact, growth and unemployment can be thought of as two sides of the same coin: when economic activity is high, it leads to more overall production, and more people are needed to produce higher amounts of products and services. When economic activity is low, firms cut jobs and unemployment rises.
In that sense, unemployment is countercyclical, meaning that it rises when economic growth is low and vice versa. [5]
According to a 2020 report from the International Labour Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, the global youth unemployment rate is 13.6%. The contributing factors to this high rate of global youth unemployment are mostly the lack of job opportunities but also include barriers to entering the labour market, such as the limited work experience and the increasing size of the population- worldwide, there are approximately 1.3 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
A large number of unemployed youth can have a negative effect on the economic growth and development of society. If youth unemployment was left without deterrence, it can lead to adverse social consequences, as unemployed youth tend to feel neglected, which leads to social elimination, anxiety and lack of hope for the future.
Given that almost 90% of all young people live in low-income countries, not feeling that a better life is possible can result in millions of young people stumbling in poverty and frustration- bringing fragile countries down with them. [6]
Also read: Sustainable Development Goal 7.
While unemployment is a negative experience nearly all over the world, therefore, it is associated with negative effects, especially poor mental health outcomes, but employment can be positive or negative, depending on the nature of the job (e.g. stability, stress, work hours, salary, etc.).
Studies on work and health found that the quality and stability of work are key factors in the work-health relationship: research found that low quality, unstable or low-paid jobs lead to or are associated with adverse effects on health. Therefore, combating unemployment alone is not enough; rather, providing decent work for all as well. [7]
Having a job provides you with many benefits, most clearly: income.
Being employed gives the person a sense of purpose, routine and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It also enhances social relationships and delivers a sense of accomplishment. [8]
There are several studies that show links between quality of work and health. These studies found that those who occupy higher positions were less likely to die of heart disease than those in lower positions. It is thought that those in higher positions are able to make meaningful decisions in their work and have a greater level of control in their life. This seems to have a protective effect on their health.
We also know that income and social status, often defined by the jobs we have, are closely linked to health outcomes. All evidence indicates that good work is crucial in promoting health. [9]
According to UNDP statistics, women’s participation in the labour force was 48% in 2018, compared with 75% for men. Around 3 in 5 of the 3.5 billion people in the labour force in 2018 were men. [3]
Even if more women participate in the labour market, the burden of private and care responsibilities, the unpaid work, still rests largely on their backs.
Women’s increase in working hours doesn’t automatically lead to a more balanced sharing of domestic and caregiving work between women and men. Overall, women work more when combining the amount of time dedicated to unpaid labour (day-to-day, domestic duties, including care), personal activities and leisure time.
Women are increasingly well qualified: more women than men graduate from universities in Europe. However, many women don’t feel as free in their choice of jobs or do not get the same job opportunities as men. This is often due to their responsibilities as a parent or as a carer of family relatives. For the same reason, women are more likely than men to work part-time jobs.
Work is the best way to empower women economically. It is therefore necessary to increase women’s labour market participation. [10]
Our initiative seeks to achieve the eighth Sustainable Development Goal by providing the youth with training courses that allow them to enter the labour market and succeed in educational attainment. The focus on women is greater in an attempt to bridge the gender gap in the labour market.
♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.
References:
[2] France Diplomacy
[3] UNDP
[4] United Nations
[5] International Monetary Fund
[6] Mercy Crops
[8] Future Learn
[10] European Commission