Advanced Search
Search Results
4787 results found
Most of WIEGO's work is organized under these thematic areas. Each is essential to securing informal livelihoods, and there are multiple ways in which these themes intersect. Inclusive Cities and the Urban Informal Economy Cities that recognize informal workers and involve them in every aspect of...
Cities that recognize informal workers and involve them in every aspect of planning can create cleaner, greener, more socially responsive and more vibrant cities. WIEGO FOCAL CITIES Inclusive cities ensure the working poor have access to secure and dignified livelihoods, affordable housing, and...
The relationship between informality and poverty, inequality, and economic growth is complex. This section of the website explores what is known about these relationships. Links with Poverty There is significant overlap between working in the informal economy and being poor. This sub-section...
Not all informal workers are poor and not all working poor are engaged in the informal economy — but there is significant overlap between informality and poverty. This page details what is known about the relationship between working in the informal economy and being poor, based on analyses of...
Public space is a public good for all city residents to access and enjoy--for leisure, transportation or to earn a livelihood. However, competing uses cause conflict. Through a project with Cities Alliance, WIEGO created new resources for informal workers who need access to public space, and for...
How much and in what ways does the informal economy contribute to economic growth? Or does the informal economy account for low productivity and low growth? Does the size of the informal economy shrink during economic growth and expand during economic slumps or downturns? Is it, in other words...
When economic crises cause job losses in the formal economy, more people become employed in the informal economy to survive. For example, recent estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggest informal employment in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru increased from 52.9 per...
Findings of Two Studies by HomeNet Thailand Two studies carried out by HomeNet Thailand, a network that helps organize informal home-based subcontracted and own account workers, underline the importance of organizing home-based workers and informal workers more generally. The need for a wide range...
Working in Public Space: Manual and Resources for Street Vendors en español Read the Working in Public Space manual See myths and facts about street vendors and other informal workers Find organizing manuals for workers in the informal economy (also available in French, Portuguese and Spanish). This...
A 10-city study on three continents, led by WIEGO, offered insight into the grounded reality of waste pickers, street/market traders and home-based workers--including their contributions, challenges, and how governments and other players help and hinder their work.
Videos / Slideshows / Audio
Millions of women work long hours, in dangerous conditions, for little pay. They are fighting for change, with the help of ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Watch this video to learn how.
Workers Education/Organizing Materials
This manual helps street vendors learn more about the regulations that govern public space and how to defend the right to work in public space. It describes successful actions taken by street vendor organizations. And it offers information to help you organize and negotiate with local government.
WIEGO Working Papers
Mike Rogan reviews how informal workers are taxed, why there is growing interest in taxing them, and whether they should be included in the tax net.