Gender and Labour in the Global South (FutureLearn)

Gender and Labour in the Global South (FutureLearn)

Delve into the Global South's labour market to understand gender issues and impacts on sustainable development. Examine gender discrimination in the Global South’s labour market. Although women’s participation in the paid labour market has increased in recent decades, gender discrimination in access to decent work persists. Women, particularly in the Global South, have the lowest participation in the labour market due to a number of factors. This three-week course from the University of Basel will guide you in assessing the Global South’s labour market to understand the impact of gender inequality in labour.

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Discover how gender equality in labour contributes to sustainable development
You’ll delve into the major role the labour market plays in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda from the United Nations.
With this understanding, you’ll explore the importance of decent work for sustainable development and examine how gender equality can boost the global economy.

Explore how intersectionality and gender roles impact women’s opportunities
On this course, you’ll explore how intersectionality and gender roles minimise women’s access to decent work, and examine how this labour often goes uncompensated.
You’ll hear testimonies from women workers in Laos, Nepal and Rwanda to further investigate the labour market from a gender perspective.

Study with global experts
The educators leading this course have a wealth of experience in the fields of gender and women in the labour market.
Their combined insight and expertise will provide you with the guidance to understand the impact of gender on the labour market and be empowered to advocate for decent work for all.

Syllabus

Week 1: Decent work for women and men in the Global South
Week 2: Gender gaps in (re)productive economy
Week 3: Women and men in different labour market sectors

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the importance of the concept of “gender” in promoting decent work and sustainable development.
  • Investigate the labour market from a gender perspective and at global, regional, and local levels.
  • Evaluate the concept of “productive and reproductive work”. Identify its meaning and assess how it influences the way women and men participate in the labour market.
  • Reflect on why it is important to incorporate gender considerations into labour market policies.

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for policymakers and students of development and gender studies.
It will also appeal to anyone interested in key aspects of the labour market in the Global South.

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