MSUMUN XVI
March 18th - March 20th
THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR
ORGANIZATION
Chair: Ayelet Zamek
Jackson D. Buday, Mathilde Haccart, & Tory Kulesza
Michigan State University Model United Nations XVI
Dear Delegates,
On behalf of all MSUMUN staff, I am so pleased to welcome you to MSUMUN XVI! My name is Ayelet
Zamek, and I will be your Chair for the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization. I am a
sophomore majoring in International Relations in James Madison College with minors in Political
Economy, Russian, and Russian and Eurasian Studies. Although most of my studies focus on interstate
conflict, I am passionate about a range of international issues, especially labor issues. Last summer, I
interned at the Fair Employment Agency in Hong Kong, a social enterprise employment agency for
domestic workers, where I learned first-hand about the injustices faced by domestic workers by both
their employers and the legal system, inspiring the first topic of this committee. This is my second year
in MSUMUN, and my first year as a Chair. I am also an active member of the International Relations
Organization, MSU’s competitive Model United Nations team, with which I have had the opportunity to
travel to Montreal, Atlanta, Boston, and Philadelphia. My favorite pastimes include binge-watching
Netflix and cheering on the Spartan Men’s Basketball team.
Allow me to introduce the other members of the dais, my awesome Assistant Chairs!
Jackson Buday is a sophomore from Charlevoix, Michigan, studying International Relations in James
Madison College. This is his first year of Model United Nations ever, and he is very excited for the
experience. Jackson loves everything sports related, especially golf and running.
Mathilde Haccart is a junior studying International Relations and Political Science. She is an exchange
student from Lille in the north of France attending MSU for the year. Mathilde became involved with
Model United Nations as a delegate during her freshman year and has been passionate about Model
United Nations ever since. A big music fan, Mathilde likes to sing and play the guitar in her free time.
Tory Kulesza is a senior studying International Relations and Spanish. She is from Rochester, Michigan
and has been an actively involved with Model United Nations as a delegate for her entire college
experience. This experience served her well as she went on to intern with a human rights NGO in
Barcelona, the United Nations Population Fund in New York City, and currently the U.S. State
Department as a Virtual Foreign Service Intern for the U.S. embassy in Bolivia.
As delegates to the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization at MSUMUN XVI, you will
have the unique opportunity to represent employers and workers in addition to countries. All types
delegates—countries, employers, and workers—will share common views. Therefore, you are not only
encouraged, but expected to collaborate. The Rights and Protection of Domestic Workers, the Inclusion
of Persons with Disabilities, and Access to Credit and Microfinance are all extremely important and
relevant topics for which a multitude of approaches can be taken. This background guide will provide
you with a brief introduction to each of the topics, but individual research and critical thinking is
necessary to succeed in this committee. Finally, delegates are expected maintain a high level of decorum
and respect of other delegates at all times.
Please feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. I wish
you all the best of luck and look forward to meeting you in March!
Sincerely,
Ayelet Zamek
Chair
The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization
[email protected]
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Topic 1: The Rights and Protection of
Domestic Workers
“We all agree on the importance of bringing domestic work into the mainstream
and responding to serious human rights concerns. All employers agree there are
opportunities to do better by domestic workers and the households and families for
whom they work.”
– Paul MacKay, Vice-Chairperson Employers’ Group
International Labour Organization, 2011
Statement of the Issue
Today, 53 million people worldwide participate in the informal global economy
as domestic workers. Due to the informal nature of their employment, many
domestic workers are often hired without clear terms of employment,
registration, recordkeeping, or protection under the purview of most labour
legislation. Domestic workers can be found in a diverse set of conditions and
circumstances. Domestic workers can either be citizens of the country in which
they are working or migrants, full-time or part-time workers, employed in one
household or more than one household, and reside in either their employers’
homes (‘live-in’) or in their own (‘live-out’).
The overarching issue regarding domestic workers is the violation of their rights
through exploitation. Exploitation can come in a variety of forms, such as,
restrictions on their freedom of movement through the seizure of passports and
identification cards; overworking in the form of excessively long hours for
extremely low wages; and physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. Domestic workers
who reside in their employers homes, known as “live-in” workers, usually face
greater isolation, longer work hours, less privacy, poor living conditions, and
greater risk of abuse by their employer. Migrant domestic workers are among
the most vulnerable groups of domestic workers as migrant domestic workers
may not be able the local languages or seek legal protection from the
government. One of the most famous cases of migrant domestic worker abuse is
that of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, an Indonesian woman who was forced to turn to
resort to domestic work in order to help support her family’s struggling
economic situation. Despite her desire to pursue a higher education and become
an accountant, she applied to become a Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) in Hong
Kong. After her work visa was approved and Sulistyaningsih traveled to Hong
Kong, she began work and was physically abused regularly for 8 months at the
hand of her employer, Law Wan-tung. Not only was she forced to sleep on the
floor, work 21 hours per day with no days off (unpaid), and beaten with a variety
of household items; her wounds eventually became infected to the point of
leaving her in such a weakened state that she was unable to walk. As she was
unable to continue working, Law arranged for Sulistyaningsih’s travel back to
Indonesia and gave her a mere $70HKD (less than US$10) for her labor;
fortunately, a fellow Indonesian citizen aided Erwiana’s return back to Jakarta
and she was properly hospitalized. Law was eventually arrested and charged
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with 18 out of 20 counts of abuse of Erwiana along with two other domestic
workers she had employed.
The field of domestic work is predominantly comprised of female workers.
Female domestic workers comprise 83 percent of all domestic workers and
account for no less than 7.5 percent of female wage employment worldwide. In
the Middle East and Latin America, more than a quarter of all female wage
workers are domestic workers. While female domestic workers are
concentrated in cleaning and care giving services, men are typically granted
higher-wage jobs as gardeners, drivers, and security guards. Due to its nature as
a ‘female’ profession, domestic work is chronically undervalued. Furthermore,
female domestic workers are often in more danger of abuse. For example, a 2012
survey of domestic workers in Hong Kong found that 58 percent of domestic
workers had experienced verbal abuse, 18 percent had been physically
assaulted, and six percent had suffered sexual abuse.
Definitions and Key Terms
Domestic worker: There is no universally accepted definition of a domestic
worker; the International Labour Organization statistical definition includes
housekeepers and related workers, childcare workers, home-based personal
care workers, and domestic helpers and cleaners. The work of domestic workers
may include “tasks such as cleaning the house, cooking, washing and ironing
clothes, taking care of young, elderly or sick members of the family, gardening,
guarding the house, and driving for the family.”
Migrant domestic worker: A migrant domestic worker is a domestic worker
who works and resides in country in which the worker in not a citizen. Recent
increases in the global demand for domestic workers has resulted in a greater
number of domestic workers migrating to other countries, particularly young
women.
Sending country: A sending country is a country whose citizens leave to migrate
to other countries, generally to find employment. Within the context of migrant
domestic workers, primary sending countries are the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, and Mexico.
Destination country: A destination country is a country to which citizens of
other countries migrate, generally to find employment. Within the context of
migrant domestic workers, primary destination countries are Hong Kong,
Argentina, and the Gulf States—Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab
Emirates.
History
Domestic work is one of the oldest occupations, originating from a global history
slavery, colonialism, and indentured servitude. Historically, employers
designated and utilized domestic work for two reasons: either to train their own
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future household staff or to confine certain demographics a specific social class
or caste as a means of social order. The history of colonialism exacerbates the
great imbalance of power between the employer and the domestic worker. In
colonial societies, such as India under the British Empire, colonial subjects would
be responsible for running the households of colonial administrators, furthering
ideas of dehumanization and white supremacy. Since the Industrial Revolution,
the character of domestic work has changed dramatically, especially with the
advent of labour-saving technologies that ease the burden of household
responsibilities. Due to the increased number of women working outside the
home, deficit of child and elder care providers, and cultural phasing-out of
support from extended family as the number of family members per household
decreases, demand for domestic workers has only risen. The demand for
domestic workers will continue to be met due to poor employment rates in
“sending countries,” rural poverty, and even human trafficking.
Previous Work of This Committee
Since its inception, the International Labour Organization seeks to protect the
rights of domestic workers by promoting equality of opportunity and treatment
and improving working and living conditions. Its overarching global strategy
works to strengthen state capacities and institutions towards this issue using
methods such as policy and legislative reforms, awareness-raising and advocacy,
the development of policy and knowledge-based tools, and facilitation of
domestic worker organizations. The ILO adopted its first resolution concerning
domestic workers in 1948 regarding conditions of employment. In 1965, it
adopted a resolution calling for normative action in this area, and, in 1970,
published the first survey ever on the status of domestic work across the world.
Later, the Decent Work Agenda provided a new and promising avenue for
ensuring visibility and respect for domestic workers. At its 301st Session in
March 2008, the ILO Governing Body agreed to place decent work for domestic
workers on the agenda of the 99th Session of the International Labor Conference,
with a view to the setting of labor standards. In July 2011, at the annual
International Labor Conference, delegates adopted the Convention on Domestic
Workers by a vote of 396 to 16, with 63 abstentions. The Domestic Workers
Convention set international standards to address the treatment of workers and
established a framework for the protection of the rights of domestic workers
regarding issues like working hours, wages, and conditions of employment,
thereby recognizing domestic workers as having the same rights as other
workers. On 26 April 2012, Uruguay was the first country to ratify the
convention.
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Issues to Address
Immigration
In addition to the injustices faced by all domestic workers, migrant domestic
workers face unique challenge of impenetrable immigration law. A migrant
domestic worker is a domestic worker who works and resides in country in
which the worker in not a citizen. In many countries, including the United States,
Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, the ability of the domestic worker to reside legally
within the country is tied to a specific employer. Therefore, the current state of
immigration law make it difficult for domestic workers to escape abusive
situations, change employers, negotiate their work conditions, or seek legal
recourse. Additionally, some employers may illegally confiscate their domestic
workers’ passports and work permits, meaning workers fleeing abusive
situations can face arrest, detention, and deportation. The consequences can be
dire: in Malaysia, migrants can face up to five years’ imprisonment, heavy fines,
and infinite detention for an immigration offense. Immigration policies can
sometimes strip migrant domestic workers of fundamental civil and political
rights, such as the right to form associations or to marry.
Debt Bondage
This form of modern slavery is perhaps the most prevalent form of abuse,
especially in regards to migrant domestic workers. Originating in Ancient Greece
and Rome before making its way to Europe and the spread of serfdom during the
Middle Ages, it currently affects millions of men, women, and children working
across all different industry sectors and regions of the world. As it had begun in
serfdom, an individual is trapped in the cycle of debt bondage as a means of
repaying a loan (oftentimes a small one in order to pay for medicine, a sick child,
etc.). However, this worker usually has little to no control of the stipulations or
the terms of their employment and often end up working long hours every day
for little to no pay―their debt later increases and becomes more complicated
once additional costs of food, interest, transportation, emergency medical
attention, etc. are factored in, thus making their financial burden even more
insurmountable. Children and even whole families can fall victim to this vicious
cycle and these workers find these circumstances just short of impossible to
escape. In countries such as the United States, many Latin American migrant
workers in the agricultural and textile industries (just to name a few) often find
themselves in this sort of debt bondage due to weak local economies in the hopes
of providing for their families. India is another country that faces issues with
bonded labor, primarily due to the caste system that relegates lower classes,
especially the Dalit class, to debt bondage. The issue has been addressed with a
number of legislative reforms since 1949 and aid from NGOs and government
offices that seek to rehabilitate rather than exploit those in debt, however the
problem is still extremely prevalent and the issue faces many obstacles before it
can be eradicated throughout all of India.
Many domestic workers, particularly in Asia, are held in debt bondage by
recruitment agencies. Recruitment agencies charge high fees to place a domestic
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worker with an employer, which the worker will never be able to pay back. Once
a domestic worker joins a recruitment agency, “the agency determines where
they work, their condition of employment, and even when they can return home.
They may only be in such a situation for months or years rather than being
permanent property of another, but until they pay off the debt they can be held
in confinement until they are selected, traded-in, and if rejected they can be
deported.
Child Labor
The use of children as domestic servants continues to be a common practice in
various regions of the world, including Latin America and South Asia. In 2008,
over fifteen million children aged five-to-seventeen years old were engaged in
domestic work, 3.5 million of whom were between five and eleven years old.
Children are among the most exploited groups of domestic workers; often they
are required to work long hours without breaks and are barred from accessing
education, contributing to social isolation and lack of future opportunity.
Furthermore, most child domestic workers are live-in workers and are under the
complete, round-the-clock control of their employers. Child domestic workers
also face the same risks and abuses as their adult counterparts: long and tiring
working days; use of toxic chemicals; carrying heavy loads; handling dangerous
items such as knives, axes and hot pans; insufficient or inadequate food and
accommodation, and humiliating or degrading treatment including violence and
abuse. The ILO Conventions on forced labor and minimum age is a crucial source
of guidance on the setting of standards to combat child domestic labor.
Blocks
Source Countries
Source countries are those from where migrant domestic workers originate from
and usually share the characteristics of high national unemployment, a low
global development index, and lack of economic opportunity. As a whole, some of
the major source countries include Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, India, the
Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia. Regionally, the largest
providers of domestic workers are Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the
Caribbean, and the African nations however there are many domestic migrant
workers that migrate within the region rather than intra-regionally (such as
Indonesia and Thailand to Hong Kong, Ethiopia to South Africa and Lesotho, etc.
Some source countries enact strict legislation to protect domestic workers,
especially those working abroad, while others follow a more laissez faire policy.
Destination Countries
Destination countries of domestic workers refer to receiving nations that share
characteristics such as a high global development index, large GDPs, and are
usually located in the Global North (the United States, Western and Eastern
Europe, the CIS, etc.) Within Europe for example, the largest employers of
domestic workers are Spain, France and Italy. Migrant women are usually make
up the majority of these domestic workers due to the industry is a main entry
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point into the labor market. According to the 2004 European Community Labor
Force Survey, 36 per cent of all female migrant workers in Spain find work as
domestic workers, while 27.9 per cent and 21.1 per cent of all female migrant
workers are hired by private households in Italy and France, respectively. The
migration of domestic workers to these destination countries cause a variety of
effects on the local culture and economy; for one, sending countries end up filling
labor gaps in a receiving countries’ labor market because the demand for labor is
being met by migrants that work jobs that a nation’s own citizens do not feel
inclined to perform. However if the national unemployment in a receiving
country rises, the presence of migrant domestic workers may be detrimental to
the recovery of the local economy.
Employers
Domestic work is one of the few industries where the employer is usually
assumed to be a woman due to the continued cultural and social perception of
women being responsible for the “domestic sphere” regardless of who actually
ends up paying workers’ wages. Employers of domestic workers are also not also
sole or private heads of household, in nations where the government provides
elderly care in the home (such as the United States) the government
intermediary may be the employer; in other cases, households where domestic
work is assigned and perform may fall under the purview of specific employment
agencies or recruiters thus creating a larger network of domestic worker
exploitation.
Workers
One of the major issues that domestic workers face is the lack of legislation and
policy that can protect them from labor abuses and violations of human rights.
These workers are often vulnerable, have limited education, and take on this
work in order to provide for their families in environments and countries that do
not provide a significant amount of upward mobility or economic opportunity,
thus making them prone to physical and sexual abuse and harassment,
overworking, and the withholding of their identification and legal documents by
employers in order to trap them into a vicious cycle of modern-day slavery.
These individuals seek to have their own form of representation and voice that
can come in the form of labor unions, public demonstrations, and protests.
Recently in 2013, the International Domestic Workers’ Network was
transformed into the International Domestic Workers' Federation (IDWF) which
became the first global union organization in the world run by female domestic
workers. With the institutional support of human rights watch-dogs such as
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, pressure to include domestic
workers into fair labor legislation is increasing and it will only be a matter of
time until all nations adopt the fair treatment and protection of those who work
in this industry.
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Questions
1. Should nations make labor reforms to include domestic workers into
their labor protections?
2. Are legislative labor reforms enough to protect domestic workers from
exploitation and abuse? What other aspects need to be included in
proposed solutions?
3. Can the abuse of domestic workers be considered human rights violations
or is it a consequence of globalization?
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Works Cited
http://www.ilo.org/global/docs/WCMS_209773/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/faqs.htm
http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/domestic-workers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542490/Thousands-protest-HongKong-demand-justice-tortured-maid.html
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/--travail/documents/publication/wcms_155951.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/global/docs/WCMS_209773/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/mar/17/global-plightdomestic-workers-labour-rights-little-freedom-abuse
http://wiego.org/informal-economy/challenges-measuring-domestic-workers
http://www.ilo.org/global/docs/WCMS_209773/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/policy-areas/migrantdomestic-workers/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/--travail/documents/publication/wcms_155951.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/
meetingdocument/wcms_104700.pdf
http://www.brill.com/products/book/towards-global-history-domestic-andcaregiving-workers-0
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/
meetingdocument/wcms_104700.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/global/docs/WCMS_209773/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/
meetingdocument/wcms_104700.pdf
http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/domestic-workers
http://www.wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/women-mission/debtbondage%E2%80%A8-slavery-without-shackles
http://www.worlddialogue.org/content.php?id=535
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Poverty/UnpaidWork/APWLD.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/--travail/documents/publication/wcms_155951.pdf
http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/domestic-workers
http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/2009/109B09_24_engl.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/73058683/Who-Needs-Migrant-Workers-LabourShortages-and-Immigration#scribd
https://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/
projects/showcase_pdf/global_eye_sixth_issue.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/73058683/Who-Needs-Migrant-Workers-LabourShortages-and-Immigration#scribd
http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/2009/109B09_24_engl.pdf
http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/domestic-workers
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Topic 2: Inclusion of Persons with
Disabilities
“Every day we are reminded that, for everybody, work is a defining feature of
human existence. It is the means of sustaining life and of meeting basic needs. But it
is also an activity through which individuals affirm their own identity, both to
themselves and to those around them. It is crucial to individual choice, to the
welfare of families, and to the stability of societies.”
– Juan Somavia, Director-General International Labour Organization,
June 2001
Statement of the Issue
Persons with disabilities represent an estimated 15 percent of the global
population, 370 million of whom are of working age. While the vast majority of
persons with disabilities are able to work, they often face many obstacles to
finding employment and integration into the workplace. Discrimination in hiring,
inadequate working environments, and widespread misinformation about
disability are some of the biggest issues preventing persons with disabilities
from finding employment which suits their goals, abilities, and skills. As a result,
workers with disabilities experience higher levels of unemployment and poverty
than the average worker. In addition to social and ethical considerations, the lack
of inclusion of persons with disabilities also has notable economic implications.
People with disabilities can, and do make significant contributions to the
workplace, and the widespread unemployment of persons with disabilities is a
great loss in the national economies of both developed and developing countries.
Furthermore, companies that hire people with disabilities tend to be more
diverse and inclusive, and, thus, more innovative and successful. Nevertheless,
employers often view workers with disabilities as burdens rather than assets,
because of the common misperceptions that workers with disabilities are not
capable and expensive to accommodate.
Today, only 45 countries worldwide have passed anti-discrimination laws
regarding disability. The lack of codified protection for persons with disabilities
points to need among all stakeholders—countries, employers, and workers—to
devise realistic solutions for more inclusion. The seriousness of the lack of
protection for persons with disabilities is still underestimated by most today.
Many workers with disabilities are unable to find decent employment, even
when they are qualified, because of discriminatory barriers, widespread
misconceptions and prejudices, and the inaccessibility of work facilities and
transportation. Discouraged by the many obstacles to decent employment, many
persons with disabilities withdraw from the job search entirely, relying on
disability benefits where they exist, working low paid jobs in the informal
economy, or counting on the support of their relatives and community. As a
result, there is a significant link between disability and poverty. Among persons
with disabilities in developing countries, an estimated 82 percent live in poverty.
The situation in developed countries is slightly better, but far from equitable.
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According to the Department of Labor, only one-third of working-age people of
disabilities were employed on average in the United States between 2010 and
2012, while over two-thirds of working-age people without disabilities who were
employed on average. In September, the United Nations released its 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, introducing “employment and decent work
for all” as one of its core Global Goals. However, this goal can never be reached if
workers with disabilities are not given the consideration, protection, and
inclusion they deserve.
Definitions and Key Terms
Persons with Disabilities: According to U.N. Enable, the United Nations body
for matters regarding disability, the term “persons with disabilities” is to be
applied to all persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, physical,
mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments. Persons with disabilities frequently
encounter environmental and attitudinal barriers, which hind their full societal
inclusion. There is no consensus on the definition of persons with disabilities, as
disability is not regarded the same way everywhere in the world. Perception and
recognition of disability depends upon various factors, such as, available
technology and services and the cultural background of each society. According
to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the definition of a person with
disability within the context of labour is “an individual whose prospects of
securing, returning to, retaining and advancing in suitable employment are
substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognized physical, sensory,
intellectual or mental impairment.” The ILO definition of persons with
disabilities will be the official definition for the purposes of this committee.
History
Throughout history, persons with disabilities have suffered discrimination and
social exclusion, primarily due to the misunderstanding of disability.
Consequently, the many persons with disabilities were often forced to stay at
home or were placed in institutions. Even when education and training programs
were extended to persons with disabilities, they were often separated from the
rest of the population and were only exposed to menial jobs based on
preconceived notions of disability. Policymakers justified the existence of
segregated environments by arguing that persons with disabilities needed more
care and individualized attention than others. The implicit argument for
segregation on the basis of disability was that persons with disabilities would
‘slow down’ the rest of the workers if they were allowed to learn and work in an
integrated environment.
Perceptions of persons with disabilities began to change with the rise of the
human rights movement and the emergence of the “social model” of disability.
The social model states that disability resides in society, rather than in a person,
because the majority of the obstacles persons with disability face are a result of
their interaction with their environment as opposed to an inherent aspect of
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their conditions. For example, “a person in a wheelchair might have difficulties
being gainfully employed, not because of her condition, but because there are
environmental barriers such as inaccessible buses or staircases in the workplace
which obstruct his or her access.”1
The most recent work concerning disability by the United Nations, especially the
ILO, the World Health Organization, and U.N. Enable, promotes the
“biopsychosocial” model of disability, which integrates both medical and social
model of disability. In the biopsychosocial model, disability is stems from the
interactions between biological, psychological and social factors. The ILO
recently promoted the concept of “ability factor”, pointing out to the abilities of
disabled people rather than their impairments. Society, therefore, has a
responsibility to remove these obstacles, which involves adapting the working
environment to make it more physically accessible, increasing the availability of
information about disability, passing anti-discrimination laws specifically
concerning disability, and fighting stereotypes.
Previous Work of This Committee
The international document that currently frames the debate on the topic of
persons with disabilities is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, adopted on December 13, 2006 by the General Assembly of the
United Nations (A/RES/61/106). The Convention provides a broad definition of
persons with disabilities and reaffirms their human rights and fundamental
freedoms. Most importantly, it identifies the areas in which the rights of persons
with disabilities are frequently denied and the adaptations necessary for persons
with disabilities to effectively exercise these rights. The world of work is one
such area, frequently falling to one or both categories. Article 27 of the
Convention specifically addresses work and labour issues, stating “Parties
recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with
others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely
chosen or accepted in a labor market and work environment that is open, inclusive
and accessible to persons with disabilities.” The purpose of this document is not
only to have States recognize the rights of persons with disabilities, but also to
encourage them to take effective steps to promote integration in legislation and
labor policies.
The ILO has a long history of commitment to opening the job market to persons
with disabilities. The ILO has sought to reform itself, in order to be more
inclusive as an organization, as evidenced by its Disability Inclusion Strategy and
Action Plan 2014-17. The plan has two main goals: first, to adopt a disabilityfriendly perspective in all of ILO’s programming and reporting, and second, to
review the ILO’s internal practices in order to make them more inclusive. The
ILO has launched several programs and actions plans aimed at furthering
inclusion by providing sets of guidelines for countries, employers, and workers
to adopt good practices. It also focuses on raising the public’s awareness of
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persons with disabilities, through public service campaigns and promotion of
special events such as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Issues to Address
Accessibility and Adaption of Working Environments
In order for persons with disabilities to be fully integrated into the labour force
and society, workplace facilities must be made accessible to all. Accessibility
concerns may be resolved through the adoption of a “universal design” policy,
defined as “the design of products, environments, programs and services to be
usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for
adaptation or specialized design.” There is always the possibility of that special
adjustments may be needed to meet the needs of certain individuals, but
universal design would help prevent situations from occurring. Adapting
working environments for persons with disabilities does not only entail ensuring
physical accessibility. Equipment used in the workplace and related workplace
activities must be made available to all. While many employers argue that these
adaptions cost a lot of money to implement, in practice, it is usually not the case.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability surveyed a panel of
employers about the costs of accessibility; 56 percent of employers responded
that accommodations for persons with disabilities did not cost anything to make,
and, when accommodations did cost employers, it typically represented no more
than a $600 investment. Similarly, the accessibility of transportation should be
addressed, as it is often a major hindrance for persons with disabilities, some of
whom cannot work in certain areas because of the lack of means for accessible
transportation. Special attention should also be paid to the promotion of a safe
and healthy workplace in order to accommodate persons with disabilities and to
prevent occupational accidents.
Training and Recruitment
The first step to getting a job that best suits one’s interests and abilities is
training. Persons with disabilities, just as their peers without disabilities, have
the right to access technical and other work-related training, which is crucial to
successful integration into the labor force. To achieve full integration, skill
development programs and employability programs must be designed to be
inclusive of persons with disabilities. Some of the reasons persons with
disabilities are unable to partake in work training include the inaccessibility of
training centers and transportation, lack of relevant and available courses,
inflexible course design or delivery, and costs of child care.
The recruitment process itself is also a major barrier to the inclusion of persons
with disabilities; they are often discriminated against during the recruitment and
hiring process based on employers’ biases and misperceptions. Therefore,
solutions must be found to ensure that equal opportunity is given to all
candidates, regardless of their disability status. In order to promote equality in
the workplace, employers should also make sure that job offers attract persons
with disabilities by promoting an inclusive workplace and collaborating with
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organizations which support persons with disabilities in order to facilitate their
access to the job market.
In order to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace,
some countries have implement quota systems, which call on employers to hire a
certain number of persons with disabilities. The type of quote system differs
from country to country; some quotas are obligatory, imposing sanctions on
employers that fail to fulfill the set standard, and others not. Recently, however,
the quota system has come under fire: while some argue that the quota system
ensures representation, others argue quotas imply persons with disabilities
would not be hired without legislative intervention because they are perceived
as having less merit.
The Promise of Technology
Rapid progress in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT)
and assistive technology in recent years has helped many persons with
disabilities to become more independent and enable greater participation in
labour force. The development of information technology offers workers with
disabilities increased flexibility. New technologies can permit the inclusion of
more persons with disabilities in the labor market, and significantly increase
their competitiveness. Sometimes, a single technical improvement can make a
huge difference, such as the installation of computer screen readers in offices
where some or one employee has a visual impairment. ICTs can also help to
introduce more flexibility in the world of work. In this way, telework, the work
arrangement that allows employees to work outside of the usual worksite during
their regular paid hours, is facilitated by ICTs and offers greater opportunities
for workers with limited mobility. Although technological innovation poses great
promise for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities in
areas without sufficient ICT infrastructure, especially in developing countries,
are unable to access assistive technology.
Bloc Positions
Developing Countries
The inclusion of persons with disabilities is an issue that concerns all countries—
both developed and developing. However, due to differences social, economic
and technological backgrounds, the priorities of developed and developing
countries, in terms of the inclusion of persons with disabilities, are likely to
differ.
According to the UN Development Program, eight per cent of persons with
disabilities live in developing countries. Furthermore, in many developing
countries, disability is often correlated with low educational attainment and
poor living conditions, with between 80 and 90 percent of persons with
disabilities being unemployed. The lack of legislation concerning disability is
typically a major issue, evidence that disability often remains virtually undressed
in some countries.
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Developed Countries
In developed countries, while persons with disabilities are given relatively more
opportunities to follow mainstream education and training, they continue to be
vastly underrepresented in the workplace. Although many states have passed
anti-discrimination laws regarding disability, legislation has not been enough.
Developed countries might want to consider using the benefits of new ICT and
assistive technology to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities and
find new solutions to go beyond the quota system.
All countries, regardless of development status, must address the continued
social stigma concerning disability arising from the lack of public awareness and
education. Only through working together will countries be able find innovative
solutions to achieve more inclusiveness in the world of work.
Employers
As companies that hire persons with disabilities tend to be more successful, all
employers would greatly benefit from the achievement of more inclusiveness.
Diversity is an asset for all enterprises, large, middle-size or small. Benefits
include the diversification of work settings, leading to an overall positive work
environment and an increase in innovation, adaptability and creativity. In 2014,
the Institute for Corporate Productivity collected data from more than 300
organization on their experience in hiring persons with disabilities: The results
show a clear positive impact on market performance and D&I strategy, and high
levels of satisfaction. According to their report, nearly three-quarters of
companies that hire workers with Intellectual and Developmental disabilities
report a positive experience, based on measures of profitability, market share,
revenue growth, and customer satisfaction over time.
However, as companies want to maximize their profit while minimizing costs,
employers are often concerned that hiring persons with disabilities might be a
financial burden for their company. They might want to find cost effective
solutions to adapt working environments and make work facilities more
accessible to disabled persons, without affecting their profit. Not all employers
might have the resources and experience to successfully hire and accommodate
more persons with disabilities.
Workers
All workers could, at some point is their life, experience disability. A more
inclusive and diverse working environment might be a benefit as well. Workers
might want to focus on protections and opportunities given to persons with
disabilities in the labour force. They would therefore advocate for greater effort
of companies to hire and accommodate persons with disabilities and make sure
that these persons have their voices heard. They may ask for more transparency
in hiring policies to make sure that persons with disabilities don’t experience
discrimination. As workers play a key role in integrating persons with
disabilities at work, they might also support initiatives aimed at informing
workers about disability and eradicating misconceptions on disabled workers.
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Questions
1. How can we reduce unemployment among persons with disabilities and
fight against employment discrimination? What can be done to eradicate
misconceptions and prejudices against persons with disabilities?
2. How can we encourage companies to invest in accommodations and
technologies that are necessary to include workers with disabilities?
Should these companies receive help, and if so, which kind of help?
3. What specific solutions can be found for developing countries, where 80%
of people with disabilities live, and who might lack the resources to
develop more inclusive working environments?
Works Cited
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18
http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/2002/102B09_340_engl.pdf
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=259
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/--ifp_skills/documents/event/wcms_322480.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/--ifp_skills/documents/genericdocument/wcms_370772.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0lt0KFhUek
http://www.eeotrust.org.nz/content/docs/research/2014/
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Topic 3: Access to Credit and Microfinance
“Where once the poor were commonly seen as passive victims, microfinance
recognizes that the poor people are remarkable reservoirs of energy and
knowledge. And while the lack of financial services is a sign of poverty, today it is
also understood as an untapped opportunity to create markets, bring people in
from the margins and give them the tools with which to help themselves.”
– Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General, United Nations, October 2005
Statement of the Issue
Throughout the developing world, especially among poor rural populations,
would-be entrepreneurs have seen their dreams of owning a small business
dashed because they cannot secure the credit needed to buy raw materials and
equipment or manage fluctuations in price. The inability to access to credit is
largely due to the underdevelopment or lack of financial institutions. In Ethiopia,
for example, there are only 400 banks for a population of over 800 million
people. Furthermore, according to the World Bank, in the majority of developing
countries, the percentage of people with a bank account at a formal financial
institution is less than 50 percent, and in some countries lower than 20 percent.
Access to affordable credit is necessary in order to expand private sector-led
economic growth in developing countries, which would result in increased
income and employment opportunities.
Microfinance has arisen in response to the void created by the lack of formal
financial sectors in many developing countries. Microfinance, as a financial
service, creates an informal banking network for previously unbanked people,
improving their socioeconomic condition. Unlike traditional banks, microfinance
institutions and clients have a very close relationship, with microfinance
institutions creating lending networks within communities and promoting loan
repayment training. Although microfinance institutions, such as Kiva, have come
a long way in providing the working poor with increased access to credit in the
form of small, sustainable loans, without widespread action by governments,
employers, and workers, the inability to access credit will likely continue.
Definitions and Key Terms
Microfinance: Microfinance is a financial service that generates the availability
of small-scale loans, savings, and money transfer services to poor entrepreneurs,
farmers, and groups who would have no other means of gaining financial
services otherwise.
History
Credit was developed after years of trading, tracing back as far as 1300 B.C.
Traders and merchants would buy and sell on credit, which became very
common in the market place. In some trading states, credit was essential. This
allowed for people to get money or a loan and pay it back at a later date.
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The roots of microfinance can be traced back to the mid-1800s from theorists’
writings about the benefit of small loans given to entrepreneurs and farmers as a
way of getting out of poverty. The term ‘microfinance’, in its modern sense, was
first used in the 1970s as microfinance institutions began to take shape around
the world, most notably the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh led by Mohammad
Yunus, the microfinance pioneer. First designed as an experimental credit
program, the Grameen Bank has since spread to hundreds of villages. The
success in Bangladesh has become a model for demonstrating the
creditworthiness of the people living in poverty and the positive socioeconomic
impacts of microfinance. Today microfinance institutions serve over 150 million
people.
Issues to Address
Development of Financial Institutions
The number of traditional financial institutions has increased dramatically in
recent years. For example, since 2004, the number of automatic teller machines
(ATMs) per 100,000 adults has more than doubled. However, financial
institutions still require further development in order to enable the poor to
access credit and other financial services. The development of financial
institutions can take three forms. First, traditional financial institutions can
develop technologies, such as mobile payment services, that would make
financial services more accessible by the poor. As of 2012, around three-quarters
of the total population have access to mobile phones. In Kenya, where there are
less than 10 ATMs per 100,000 persons, the mobile payment service AkiraChix
has allowed more people to access financial services. Second, in order to improve
access to credit and other financial services, traditional financial institutions
need to develop their mindset towards the poor. Banks and other traditional
financial institutions “usually refuse to serve poor households and microenterprises because of the high cost of small transactions, lack of traditional
collateral, lack of basic requirements for financing and geographic isolation.”
Financial institutions must realize that the economic benefit of increasing access
to credit and financial services transcends the short-term costs. Classes and
programs on money management and loan repayment can help reassure
financial institutions the promise of lending to the poor. Third, the development
of alternative financial institutions, such as microfinance organizations and coops, can provide the poor with financial institutions that better serve their needs.
Access to Credit by Women
Traditionally, women in the developing world have faced many barriers in
accessing to credit due to lack of education and training, legal and cultural
barriers, and infrastructure-related challenges. Nevertheless, there is
tremendous benefit to the family and the wider community when women are
able to access credit and establish small businesses, including higher school
enrollment and lower dropout rates, better health and nutrition, job creation,
and economic development. Furthermore, research has shown that women are
more reliable in repaying loans than men and, thus, make better loan recipients.
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The development of microfinance institutions has been an effective method of
improving the ability of women to access credit. The Grameen Bank, one of the
most famous microfinance institutions, is noted for its work with women.
However, the reach of microfinance institutions is limited. Change in attitudes
towards women and the development of financial institutions are also required
to unlock the economic potential of women in developing countries.
Bloc Positions
Developing Countries
Laws and regulations can be put into place to increase access to credit and
support microfinance institutions, which would not only benefit the poor, but the
economy as a whole. Increased access to credit and microfinance would bring
competition, innovation, and new technologies that would help spur
development further by reducing poverty and allowing for greater economic,
social, and political involvement by the general population.
Developed Countries
Since developed countries tend to have formal financial institutions already in
place, there is not as much need for microfinance institutions. However,
developed countries can promote access to credit helping developing countries
set up formal financial microfinance institutions and promoting microfinance
institutions.
Employers
With more people at work and more money flowing in the economy, employers
would benefit from increased access to credit and microfinance, as people will
spend more money on goods. However, with a rise in the number of
entrepreneurs, the market will become more competitive. With competition, this
allows for the possibility that the employer will lose business to other new
businesses. Nevertheless, employers would much rather there be competition in
business with a flourishing economy, rather than them being a business among
only a few in a stagnant economy.
Workers
Having access to credit and microfinance would be a sizable benefit for workers.
Low-income workers or groups of workers would be enabled to pursue private
interests that will generate income. This will empower the worker economically,
by helping them become self sufficient, and socially, through the exchange of
knowledge and experiences in a group, establishing a credit history and gaining
financial experience. With the power in their hands, some workers would choose
to use these small loans on better food and medicine for their family, send their
children to school, bettering their family welfare.
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Questions
1. What is the best solution to the lack of access to credit in developing
countries? How many solutions differ from region to region?
2. What sort of involvement should the government have with promoting
access to credit and microfinance institutions, if at all?
3. What difficulties might a microfinance institution have starting off in a new
region? What are things they can do to make the transition smoother?
Works Cited
http://www.grameen-credit-agricole.org/en/content/everything-you-needknow-about-microfinance
https://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/mainsite/policy_and_resear
ch/un/65/A_65_267.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---iloislamabad/documents/publication/wcms_143165.pdf
http://www.encyclopediaofcredit.com/History-of-Credit
http://www.microfinanceinfo.com/history-of-microfinance/
http://www.economist.com/news/economic-and-financialindicators/21586861-financial-services-developing-countries
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/07/17/mobilephone-access-reaches-three-quarters-planets-population
http://www.economist.com/news/economic-and-financialindicators/21586861-financial-services-developing-countries
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/07/17/mobilephone-access-reaches-three-quarters-planets-population
https://economie.rabobank.com/PageFiles/3584/access_tcm64-75165.pdf
http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/public-policy/gmi-folder/gmireport-pdf.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@gender/documents
/meetingdocument/wcms_091581.pdf
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