The world’s global plastics waste crisis demands policy coordination and technological solutions to improve waste management systems, and organizations worldwide have created momentum around the concept of a circular economy.
This paper examines the vital, yet under-recognized role of waste pickers in the circular economy, particularly in low- and middle-income nations. It explores the tension between the environmental and social aspects of circularity. While waste pickers significantly contribute to recycling and environmental well-being, they often face exploitation and minimal support. The paper proposes a two-pronged approach: a hierarchy illustrating waste pickers' foundational role in the recycling chain, and a model for a socially restorative circular economy that p
This publication provides, for the first time, direct measures of informal employment inside and outside informal enterprises for 47 countries. It also presents statistics on the composition and contribution of the informal economy as well as on specific groups of urban informal workers. Non-technical language and clear, simple statistical tables will make the information easy to understand by a large and varied audience.
This Note unveils the underappreciated role of women in small-scale fisheries. Despite rising international recognition, women's catches remain overlooked. The research estimates millions of women participate, catching nearly 11% of the total small-scale haul, valued at billions of dollars. These catches not only feed families but also fuel local economies, highlighting the critical yet invisible role women play in global fisheries.
This discussion paper offers a set of reflections on the key issues related to the intersection of climate change, the green and blue economy, and youth employment. It offers a set of discussion questions related to youth’s participation in the green and blue economy and their leadership in a just transition.
This policy review considers the opportunities e-commerce offers to women-led and womenowned small enterprises in developing and least developed countries (LDCs), and the challenges such enterprises face to engage in e-commerce. While a vast literature is available on e-commerce and UNCTAD has contributed to it, looking at e-commerce through a gender lens is a more recent endeavour. This publication aims to contribute to it.
This report, by the IDB, OECD and UNESCO, outlines current knowledge of the impact that AI systems have on women’s opportunities for work, and their position, treatment and status in the workforce. It does so by exploring how AI is used within and outside the workplace, and how it could be used in the future. It looks at the potential impact of new and emerging AI technologies on the skills that employers will require, on how women look for and are hired for jobs, and on how jobs are structured through automated monitoring and oversight.
Millions of women are engaged in platform work around the world, both as workers and sellers. By better understanding women’s experiences on platforms, financial services providers (FSPs) and platforms can design solutions to help women maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of platform work. To shed light on the opportunities and challenges facing women platform workers, as well as to better understand their financial profile and need for financial services, CGAP conducted primary research with women platform workers and sellers.
Financial health for young entrepreneurs means that they are aware of and able to access appropriate resources required to start and grow their enterprises, can manage their business finances, and have confidence in their financial future. Youth Business International (YBI) and ten of its member organizations from Africa, Asia and Europe have developed an evidence-informed approach that can systematically improve how young entrepreneurs can be supported to access appropriate financial services and products.
This Note analyzes how Generative AI (GAI) will impact jobs, using a skills-based approach to categorize occupations as augmented by GAI, disrupted by automation, or minimally affected. While GAI is expected to enhance some jobs, a troubling gender gap emerges: women are more likely to hold jobs susceptible to disruption, while men are more likely to benefit from GAI-powered augmentation. This trend suggests GAI could widen the gender gap in the job market.
