The Right To A Job, The Right Types Of Projects: Employment Guarantee Policies From A Gender Perspective

There is now widespread recognition that in most countries, private-sector investment has not been able to absorb surplus labor. This is all the more the case for poor unskilled people. Public works programs and employment guarantee schemes in South Africa, India, and other countries provide jobs while creating public assets. In addition to physical infrastructure, an area that has immense potential to create much-needed jobs is that of social service delivery and social infrastructure. While unemployment and enforced "Idleness" persist, existing time-use survey data reveal that people around the world - especially women and children - spend long hours performing unpaid work.