SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth – A gendered analysis

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Main author: Rai, Shirin M.
Other authors: Brown, Benjamin
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-39264
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic J Political Science
description SDG 8 calls for promoting ‘sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’. Even as it highlights the importance of labour rights for all, it also makes visible some significant tensions. We note, for example, that despite many critiques of narrow economic measures of growth, the focus here remains on GDP and per capita growth. This is problematic, we argue, because the GDP productive boundary excludes much of social reproductive work. This puts SDG8 in tension with SDG 5 which calls for the recognition of the value of unpaid care and domestic work. There has been a significant increase in the rate of working women in the formal and informal sector. However, there has not been a subsequent gender shift in the doing of social reproductive work. In this paper we argue SDG 8’s focus on decent work and economic growth is inadequate; that productive employment and decent work for all men and women by 2030 needs to take into account the value and costs of social reproduction. We trace key historical debates on work to argue that both gender and labour rights have to underpin SDG 8 if its promise of inclusive, sustainable and decent work is to be realized.
format Journal Article
author Rai, Shirin M.
author_facet Rai, Shirin M.
Brown, Benjamin
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
authorStr Rai, Shirin M.
author_letter Rai, Shirin M.
author2 Brown, Benjamin
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
author2Str Brown, Benjamin
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
title SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth – A gendered analysis
publisher Elsevier
publishDate 2019
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/39264/

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