Archive for category: Employment

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Cash-in-Hand in Honduras’ Informal Economy

Honduras’ Informal EconomyInformality is a growing phenomenon in the global South, specifically in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). While almost everyone must work out of necessity, not all work is created equal. In Honduras, the informal economy is seeing notable change, with women entering the formal workforce and small businesses driving social and economic development.

The Informal Economy: What Is It?

While formal work involves a written contract between employer and employee and generally ensures workers’ protection, rights and stability, informal labor is a broad term with multi-faceted meanings. This might include a family-owned shop where an employee helps on the weekends, street vendors, gig workers, micro-businesses and domestic workers in cash-in-hand employment.

While this type of work occurs in every country, there are notable trends. In 2024, the OECD drew upon the survivalist aspects of informal work, noting how these jobs are often characterized by a lack of social benefits, poor working conditions, lower remuneration and poverty. Currently, 90% of the global workforce is made up of informal employees, largely from low-income countries.

While policy change is urgently needed, much informal work is also produced and performed within the household, making it difficult to categorize or track. Women are more likely to be part of the informal labor force, and four in 10 people in LAC countries currently depend solely on informal work. More than half the people in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia and Honduras are vulnerable to exploitation, with low earnings, excessive working hours and poor working conditions — conditions that may carry on into future generations.

A Case for Formalization

Employees working informally do not contribute to a country’s GDP, largely due to tax avoidance. Workers within the informal economy earn less than their formal counterparts, and their country’s economy is often weaker as a result.

J.P. Morgan notes that “informality thrives where entry is hardest” and is thus bound to disproportionately affect those without formal education or with low social standing. For these reasons, it is more likely to affect women and girls. The shift from informal to formal economies is not straightforward, but can be achieved through policy and business action, reducing the gender pay gap and the potential for violence and abuse facing women and girls.

Honduras: A Case Study

The OECD report shows Honduras’ informal economy to be the largest among the LAC countries examined, with nearly 80% of salaries coming from informal channels.

Despite this, organizations such as CAVEXSA, COCASAM and UPROCASUR have been aiding the transition from informal to formal work. These are small to medium enterprises in the agricultural sector, harvesting, packaging and transporting commodity goods such as sugar and coffee.

Backed by the ComRural II project and the World Bank Group, they are committed to providing technical training and job opportunities for rural communities. More than 3,200 Hondurans have attained job security, with numbers set to increase with every harvest. These are jobs in previously male-dominated sectors, signaling economic growth that also challenges gendered stereotypes.

Looking Ahead

Honduras’ informal economy remains essential for many, but procedures such as effective minimum wages, community-driven businesses, contributory schemes and social protection are among the ways the OECD suggests alleviating the burden of informal work.

Denis Calderón, a former okra producer and current board member of CAVEXSA, is a single mother of five. “I was a housewife — I’m not ashamed to say it,” she said, adding that “women are capable of anything,” in agriculture, domestic life and beyond. The leadership of women like Calderón in these businesses reflects a broader shift in how economic growth is taking shape in the global South.

– Grace Sandall

Grace is based in Madrid, Spain and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Renewable Energy in Grenada

Renewable Energy in GrenadaGrenada, like many other island nations in the Caribbean, faces a critical challenge: breaking its dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels. Currently, a staggering 93% of Grenada’s energy supply relies on imported oil products. This costs that country an average of 105 million East Caribbean Dollars (ECD), draining resources that the country could better allocate locally and making the nation particularly vulnerable to global price shocks and supply disruptions. Additionally, imported oil’s monopoly on Grenada’s energy sector causes widespread energy poverty, which is the lack of energy needed to provide basic services, such as heating, cooling and cooking.

Yet, the Spice Island is planning an ambitious new course. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Grenada has pledged a 40% reduction in its 2010 emissions by 2030, with the ultimate goal of using 100% renewable energy in its transport and electricity sectors. Additionally, new renewable energy initiatives can combat energy poverty by allowing families to own solar panels and generate their own electricity off the national grid. This would lower household costs, keep money in the Grenadian economy, and improve the quality of life for many impoverished Grenadians.

Challenges

Issues riddle Grenada’s path forward. Grenada’s electrical grid currently relies on diesel generators, for which cooling alone accounts for one-third of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, poverty remains high, with 25% of Grenadians living below the poverty line. Additionally, while there has been progress to expand the renewable energy sectors, a vast majority of Grenada’s renewable energy output comes from small-scale projects rather than large-scale government investment.

Progress on the Ground

Despite these obstacles, renewable energy in Grenada has continued to expand. In November 2024, Grenada launched a tender for a major solar project at Maurice Bichop International Airport, and while a company has not won the tender, the project continues to develop, with officials choosing the sites for the solar panels. The winning developer will secure a 25-year power purchase agreement with the state utility, Grenlec, and planners expect the project to meet 40% of Grenada’s energy grid needs.

Grenlec has also announced that the construction of a new substation and upgraded grid infrastructure is underway on the island. Improving the efficiency of the grid and lessening overall waste. This project will also create a resilient microgrid at the airport, allowing for reliable power during prolonged grid outages.

International support also provides optimism for the Island’s future development. In December 2024, the United Kingdom pledged 10 million British pounds to support geothermal energy development in Grenada, aiming to reduce its former colonies’ reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels. Additional United Nations programs like the Building Effective Resilience for Human Security in the Caribbean Countries and the Harnessing Blue Economy Finance for SIDS Recovery and Sustainable Development initiatives work to develop the renewable energy grids of the region and help the impoverished in Grenada.

Tourism

Tourism remains both Grenada’s largest industry and a major contributor to overall emissions, but the sector is beginning to adopt new, climate-friendly policies. A pilot project at the True Blue Bay Resort has demonstrated that replacing conventional air-conditioning units with R290 units, which are both propane-fueled and very efficient, achieved an energy consumption reduction of around 26%. For a nation with a large number of hotels, in which cooling can account for a majority of its energy demand, improvements in cooling efficiency can reduce annual electricity consumption by hundreds of thousands of ECD.

Impacts on Poverty

The transition to renewable energy in Grenada carries large implications for poverty reduction, as about 25% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate stood at 11.1% in 2023.

Currently, high electricity costs burden low-income households, forcing many to spend large portions of their income on energy. Lowering these costs through renewable sources would free up household income for food, education, healthcare and many other expenses. To combat this, Grenada plans to launch its “Solar for All” Program, which will expand access to rooftop solar and accelerate nationwide adoption of solar energy, particularly for vulnerable households. 

Renewable energy also creates local jobs. The country cannot outsource the installation, maintenance and management of renewable energy sources, and will create many jobs for the country’s unemployed. Unlike fossil fuel imports, which send money overseas, investments in renewable energy will keep capital within the local economy.

The expansion of renewable energy in Grenada has the potential to transform the Grenadian economy and open doors for Grenada’s impoverished.

– Luca Napolitano

Luca is based in Boston, MA, USA and focuses on Politics and The Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Vocational Education Training Centers in Guatemala

Vocational Education Training Centers in GuatemalaThe journey to providing adequate education to the youth in Guatemala has been a tumultuous one. Vocational institutions especially lack the funding necessary to provide their students with a proper technical education. But, the salient jobs in this country, like agriculture and information technology, require solid technical foundations. So, it is clear that vocational education is becoming more prevalent than ever to its future generations. However, issues like nationwide poverty and internal political turmoil hinder the quality of these facilities. Here is more information about the state of vocational education training centers in Guatemala.

General Educational Barriers in Guatemala 

According to WorldData.Info, Guatemala has ranked 162nd out of 193 countries in the global education ranking. Only about half of students complete elementary school, and one-third finish secondary school. The issue of providing education to Guatemalan citizens stems from poverty across the country. Guatemala’s 36-year Civil War between 1960-1996 displaced hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people, which still negatively impacts their standard of living today. About 47.3% of Guatemalans live with a budget of around 64 quetzales, which in U.S. dollars, translates to about $8.30 a day.

As a result, many families in Guatemala are unable to afford sending their children to school. There is also a significant resource gap in classrooms; they are oftentimes overcrowded, or they lack teachers with the proper training necessary for instruction. These political and economic obstacles bleed into vocational schools, which prevent students from getting a good education.   

Vocational Education Training Centers in Guatemala 

Guatemalan technical institutions offer students high-demand skills learned in a wide range of subjects in culinary and pastry arts, agriculture, carpentry and computer science. The Ministry of Education stated many of them lacked proper equipment. Some schools, such as Junkabel and William Cornelius Training Center have excellent facilities. But the vast majority lack the budget, staff and infrastructure needed to run them.  

Luckily, there have been several efforts aimed at improving the quality of education at Guatemalan trade schools. Foreign aid organizations, like the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), fundraised $20.6 million for Education toward the Guatemala Threshold Program, $4.2 million of which went to technical education alone. Also, the CEPA Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has partnered with another nonprofit, Fundación Corazones Libres, in order to provide vocational education to young children in Vuelta Grande. These funds are used to create new vocational high schools with modernized computers that increase accessibility.

Another nonprofit, Infinite Chance, has funded enough money to buy welding and industrial sewing machines necessary for instruction. Besides nonprofits, affluent vocational institutions in Guatemala like INTECAP have offered vocational certifications and training to secondary students to help them gain specialized skills. 

The Future of Vocational Education Centers in Guatemala 

Although there is much left to be done to improve vocational education training centers in Guatemala, such as updating curricula to fit the rapidly advancing job market, many charities and nonprofits have organized initiatives to help repair the education system. For instance, the Swisscontact Project teamed up with the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare in Guatemala in 2023 to provide students with technical courses relevant to the IT and food sectors.

The primary goals of these projects is to reduce the need for migration in the Guatemalan workforce. Guatemala wants to decrease the levels of unemployment among Guatemalan youth by providing sufficient Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to students who wish to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

More than 90% of Guatemala’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from industry, service and agriculture jobs. By promoting vocational education centers in Guatemala, future generations can hope to earn a living through these technical careers and boost their domestic economy.

– Stacie Hueter

Stacie is based in Denville, NJ, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Bangladesh’s Textile Industry: Expanding Economic Opportunities

Bangladesh’s textile industryBangladesh was not always just a manufacturing hub–centuries ago. Bengal was actually one of the world’s leading textile producers, known for its fine muslin fabrics traded across continents. This changed during British colonial rule, when local production declined and the region lost its place in global trade. Today, Bangladesh has re-emerged as the world’s second-largest garment exporter, with the textile industry making up more than 80% of its exports and employing millions of people. In a country of more than 170 million people, this sector plays a key role in economic growth while also raising questions about sustainability and long-term impact.

The Engine Behind Bangladesh’s Economic Rise

Bangladesh’s garment industry didn’t just grow over time—it essentially became the backbone of the country’s economy. After gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh was one of the poorest countries in the world, with very limited industrial capacity. Over the years, the ready-made garment (RMG) sector stepped in to fill that gap, replacing traditional exports like jute and turning into the country’s main driver of growth. Today, the industry employs around 4.5 million people and plays a central role in both economic stability and job creation.

Since taking off in the 1980s, the sector has expanded rapidly through export-led growth and strong integration into global supply chains. This model has helped Bangladesh maintain steady economic progress while creating opportunities for millions of people, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. At the same time, as global markets shift and Bangladesh prepares to move beyond its least-developed country status, there are growing questions about how sustainable this growth model will be in the long run.

Women, Work and the Cost of Opportunity

One of the most visible impacts of Bangladesh’s garment industry is on women. For many, factory work offers a first chance to earn an income, especially for those from rural and low-income backgrounds. This has contributed to greater financial independence and more say in family decisions, while also helping delay early marriage. At the same time, these opportunities have also reshaped education choices. While more girls are encouraged to go to school, some leave earlier to work and support their families, showing how economic opportunity can come with trade-offs.

However, working conditions remain challenging, with long hours and relatively low wages still common. The Rana Plaza collapse exposed serious safety issues and led to reforms, but concerns continue. At the same time, the industry’s environmental impact—especially water pollution from textile production—remains significant. Much of this production is driven by global brands such as Primark and H&M, linking local conditions to a wider global system.

The Future of Bangladesh’s Textile Industry

Bangladesh’s textile industry has clearly driven strong economic growth, but this success also comes with risks. One of the biggest challenges is the country’s heavy reliance on a single sector. As highlighted in recent analysis, an economy built so strongly around garments remains vulnerable to global shifts in demand and competition.

Looking ahead, Bangladesh’s upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status could be a major turning point. While it reflects economic progress, it also means the country may lose key trade advantages such as duty-free access to major markets, potentially affecting its competitiveness in the global apparel industry . At the same time, new global regulations—such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—could place additional pressure on exporters to meet stricter environmental standards.

These changes suggest that the current growth model may not be enough in the long term. To stay competitive, Bangladesh will likely need to move beyond low-cost production and focus more on innovation, technology and diversification. Strengthening productivity and expanding into higher-value sectors could be key to sustaining growth in the years ahead.

Conclusion

In many ways, the story of Bangladesh’s textile industry is not just about growth—it’s about people. It’s about millions of lives shaped by the chance to earn, to move, to imagine something beyond survival. For many women in particular, the industry has opened doors that did not exist before.

But behind this progress is a more complicated reality. The same system that creates opportunity also carries pressure on workers, on communities and on the environment. As Bangladesh moves forward, the question is no longer whether the industry can grow, but what kind of growth it chooses to pursue.

If that growth is shaped with greater care—for people, for working conditions and for the environment—then the textile sector can remain not just an economic success, but a more balanced and human one.

– Elif Oktar

Elif is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How Inclusive Employment in Ashgabat Is Providing Hope

Inclusive Employment in AshgabatTurkmenistan emerged as one of the many countries formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December of 1991. Throughout much of its history, the country has been a footnote in international relations. The Soviet Union appointed its first President and Chairman of the Turkman Communist Party, Saparmurat Niyazov, in 1985. Niyazov supported the 1991 coup plotters in Moscow and continued to rule the country until 2006. His long tenure set the for the nation’s future, as a post-Soviet dictatorship. While this political landscape remained rigid for decades, the economic reality in the country, particularly the capital of Ashgabat, presents a growing challenge for many residents facing poverty and disabilities.

In Ashgabat, the official poverty figures are difficult to verify due to the Turkman government’s restrictions, but independent reports suggest there is a dire reality. While the city is well known for its glowing white marble staircases and golden statues, many residents struggle to afford basic necessities. Reports compiled in 2024 indicate that 47% of Turkmenistan’s working population lives in near poverty,” earning between $3.65 and $6.85 per day. For the disabled, the situation is far more concerning as they often face social isolation and a lack of accessible infrastructure. This correlates directly with sky high poverty rates. It is necessary to ensure that the city’s modern landscape includes all resident, regardless of physical or cognitive ability is a significant hurdle. Here is information about the implementation of inclusive employment in Ashgabat.

Bridging the Employment Gap

As part of this expansive transformation, a key shift away from the cycle of isolation for people with disabilities occurred. This transition to a market economy exposed a significant employment gap, leaving many people with disabilities unable to reach their work goals. This resulted in the group remaining largely excluded from the workforce in many sectors. While the situation appears negative, the Turkman government has taken strides in establishing a place for people with disabilities to find work and escape poverty. In 2008, the government under the leadership of the late President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the government signed the United Nations Convention of People with Disabilities. This move signaled a commitment to inclusive employment across the nation.

The Necessary Legal Protections

For the disabled residents of the nation, this was not just a symbolic gesture, it served as a key starting point for legislative reform. The government later added legal protections, including updating its social protection code to redefine disability as a social limitation rather than a medical one. The government also aimed to provide spaces for people with disabilities in the workforce and carve out specific opportunities for disabled people to gain jobs. This foundation supports Turkmenistan’s quest to create inclusive employment in Ashgabat, fostering a culture of inclusive employment regardless of physical or mental disabilities.

Support From Beyond the Government

While the government itself has made strides in helping disabled people access the workplace, many non-governmental organizations have also helped residents break the cycle of poverty. One of the most notable has been Yenme. At the end of 2022, Yenme received a grant from the United Nations to fund a new social program, “A World Without Gender Inequality.”  This program empowers women with disabilities through specialist training and vocational skills. To date, the program has directly impacted dozens of women, such as Gulnar a woman with dwarfism who gained financial independence through sewing training, contributing to a broader feeling of inclusive employment in Ashgabat. Currently, 75% of Yenme’s total beneficiaries are women and girls seeking to overcome societal barriers.

There have been significant strides to uplift the impacted people with disabilities in Turkmenistan aiming toward a goal of ultimate eradication in Ashgabat. The implementation of much-needed legal protections is paving the way for inclusive employment, offering significant hope that real change can be formulated in the country.

– Haydn Goodboy

Haydn is based in Massachuetts, USA and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Reality of Immigrant Credential Recognition in Canada

Immigrant Credential RecognitionAhmad Salem and his family arrived in Winnipeg in December 2016. He was less than a year away from earning a degree in English-to-Arabic translation when war forced them to leave. They escaped to begin a new life in Canada.

Many highly trained immigrants arrive in Canada expecting to continue the same jobs they were trained for in their home country. However, upon arrival, they face unexpected challenges. Immigrant credential recognition is not assured in Canada. This is what happened to Salem. 

Barriers in Canada’s current credential recognition system mean many immigrants cannot work in the fields for which they were trained before coming to the country. This system failure has adverse effects on individuals, the workforce and the broader economy. Salem’s story is not unique.

Data from Statistics Canada shows that only 44% of people who immigrated to Canada in the last decade work in jobs that match their training.

How Immigrant Recognition Works in Canada

In Canada, immigrant credential recognition is the process of evaluating education and professional qualifications received outside Canada. A British Columbia-based website describes it as a program “funded by the Federal Government of Canada to help Skilled Newcomers get back into their professional fields or alternative related career fields.”

The immigrant credential recognition system is complex and decentralized. Although the federal government supports the integration of newcomers into the workforce, provincial regulatory bodies control licensing. This creates an inconsistent, fragmented system. Depending on provincial regulations, immigrants may need additional exams, Canadian work experience, bridging programs or further education before they can practice in their fields, particularly in health care, engineering and teaching.

Salem’s goal was to become an English teacher. He had nearly finished his university education in Syria and assumed he could complete it in Canada. This didn’t happen. He was told he needed to complete four years of high school to be eligible to apply to a university education program. None of his courses at a Syrian university was recognized. 

“That’s too much! It’s going to take me forever to do that. So, I decided, no, I’m going to start something new and related to helping youth and young kids at the same time,” he told The Borgen Project in an interview.

Barriers Affecting Immigrants in Canada

Systemic barriers, as those Salem faced, delay and even prevent the recognition of immigrants’ credentials. As in Salem’s situation, it can take years for an immigrant to pass the required regulatory exams or meet provincial licensing requirements. Immigrants must also compete with local candidates for jobs regardless of their work experience from their countries of origin.

These barriers result in social and economic consequences: first and foremost, underemployment. Data from the 2021 census shows that more than 25% of immigrants with foreign degrees worked in jobs that required only a high school diploma or less, compared with 10.6% among Canadian-educated workers. Financial consequences for underemployed immigrants include frustration, loss of professional identity and lack of career advancement. 

Canada recruits skilled immigrant workers but cannot fully utilize their experience. This means that, despite the many talented immigrants entering the country, sectors such as health care, skilled trades and engineering still face shortages. These shortages ultimately affect the entire Canadian population in the long term.

Salem chose not to pursue the eight years of training required to obtain his education degree. Instead, he found a related job working with children and youth through Child and Family Services. He plans to pursue a degree in social work through an online program at the University of Victoria. 

“I think I was just lucky that I had the chance to find a path that was connected to what I know back home. I… was supported by the Manitoba Jobs and Employment Organization… I was open to anything I could find here. So that helped me, but at the same time, I didn’t do what I wanted to do before, teaching,” he said.

The Cost of Overqualification for Immigrants in Canada

Overqualified workers in the workplace often have lower productivity and less job satisfaction. Highly educated immigrants are more likely to be overqualified than Canadian-born workers. A study by the C.D. Howe Institute found that 22% of family-class immigrants and 19% of refugees are overqualified, compared to 16% of economic immigrants.

Because of barriers in the immigrant credential recognition system and language difficulties, immigrants tend to enter the workforce and advance more slowly in their careers than Canadian-born workers. In fact, 40%–44% of immigrants say these challenges are the main reasons for their slower career progress. 

Underutilizing immigrants’ skills carries significant economic consequences for Canada. According to Generation1.ca, underemployment of immigrants results in a minimum annual loss of $12.7 billion in earnings for employers. In addition, the Government of Canada has calculated that immigrant underemployment results in a $50 billion loss in GDP, equivalent to 2.5% of the economy.

Closing Remarks

Canada’s immigration policy is contradictory: it selects skilled immigrants but limits their ability to use those skills. Despite efforts to improve foreign credential recognition, structural and interprovincial challenges remain. Immigrants need better pre-arrival guidance on licensing and streamlined regulatory systems. When successful, skilled immigrants make valuable contributions to research, entrepreneurship and technology.

Salem came to Canada hoping to become a teacher. However, like many skilled newcomers, he was forced to change course when his credentials weren’t recognized. His story reflects a broader systemic problem: a complex, fragmented process that prevents immigrants from working at their full potential, despite recent efforts to improve coordination and prearrival information.

The impact goes beyond individual setbacks. When skilled immigrants can’t work in their fields, Canada loses talent, productivity and innovation. A more streamlined credential recognition system could help newcomers integrate faster. Furthermore, this would strengthen key sectors and build stable careers—reducing the gap between the promise of immigration and its reality.

– Caleb Dueck

Caleb is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Freepik

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Proactive Poverty Reduction in China

Poverty Reduction in ChinaChina, a vast and diverse nation of 1.4 billion people, has a significant recent history of poverty alleviation. Between 1981 and 2013, the country lifted about 850 million of its citizens from poverty. However, the sheer size of the population presents ongoing challenges.

With 90% of the country’s poverty concentrated in rural areas, providing effective welfare faces many obstacles. The Chinese government has stepped up to this task, creating a focused policy mechanism. This initiative, officially known as a regular mechanism for dynamic monitoring and targeted support to prevent a relapse into poverty (often abbreviated as SHIELD), embodies a proactive poverty reduction strategy in China.

This method of proactive poverty reduction has proven incredibly effective, offering a global model for safeguarding populations of any size. To achieve this, the SHIELD mechanism breaks down its approach into three core areas: dynamic monitoring, precise identification and targeted support, all funded and staffed by a multi-departmental effort.

Proactive Poverty Reduction in China

  • Dynamic monitoring: With such a large population, one of the scheme’s core focuses is casting a wide net over anyone who might need support. It achieves this through digital analysis, combining data engineering with human-led statistics to identify individuals requiring financial, mental or physical assistance. The system also employs workers in rural and grassroots communities, who actively find people and guide them through the welfare application process. The final method and perhaps the most effective, involves easy-to-operate mobile apps. In Gansu province, for example, the One-Click Poverty Reporting system now accounts for 22% of the people who have successfully accessed welfare.
  • Precise identification: Once identified, the system breaks households and individuals down into risk categories. The first category includes those recently lifted out of poverty who may be vulnerable to falling back. The second covers general households at risk due to living in ecologically unsafe or isolated regions, even if they have never fallen below the poverty line. The third and final category comprises those who have been hit by a crisis of some kind, placing them at high risk of falling beneath the poverty line or already there.
  • Targeted support: While focusing on citizens’ financial status, this Chinese policy includes a wide range of support models designed to help people get back on their feet. These targeted supports are intended to be comprehensive, addressing each citizen’s immediate needs and supporting their reintegration into society. They include microloans, community service jobs such as sanitation work and forest ranger roles, health care access, education subsidies and a basic living allowance for households that are completely unable to support themselves.

Impact and Effort

The SHIELD policy represents a major government priority, backed by substantial investment. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs leads the effort, with support from most other government departments, including health and education. Since the transition period began in 2021, cumulative government investment in formerly impoverished areas has reached 850 billion yuan (approximately $127.5 billion).

Given the scale of this multi-departmental collaboration, the policy’s impact is evident. Under this system, authorities have identified seven million people as high-risk and are now providing support to them. SHIELD has also helped secure jobs for 33.05 million people, either through employment opportunities or community service roles. In addition, in isolated rural areas, systems established under SHIELD have increased access to safe drinking water to 94%.

The SHIELD policy represents the culmination of a multi-departmental effort and wise allocation of resources. The policy provides a comprehensive and replicable model of proactive poverty reduction in China, with support tailored to citizens’ needs. As a result, it may serve as a global roadmap for poverty alleviation, a goal the evidence suggests SHIELD is already moving toward.

– Eli Thomson

Eli is based in Preston, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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5 Key Statistics on the Gender Wage Gap in Mali

Gender Wage Gap in MaliLandlocked in West Africa, Mali has a population of about 25 million people. It is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 45.5% of the population living below the National poverty line, earning less than $3 a day. Outlined by the United Nations, SDG 8.5.1 measures the average hourly earnings of both men and women, tracking a country’s progress in attaining fair wages and equal pay. Here are five key facts of the gender wage gap in Mali.

The Gap

The gender wage gap in Mali stood at 41.9% in 2023, according to the International Labour Organization. In other words, a woman in Mali earns, on average, 58 cents for every dollar a man earns in the same working context.

In 2025, the World Bank estimated that 52.8% of Mali’s female population over 15 years of age participate in the labour force, compared to 81% of males over fifteen. This percentage dropped significantly from 60.5% of women in 1990, and is expected to keep decreasing.

A 2022 study on unpaid labour by the National Observatory of the Demographic Dividend found that Malian women spend four times as much as men carrying out domestic tasks and unpaid care. This limits the time they could be spending to pursue an education or hold a paid position. The study also estimated that if this unpaid labour was accounted for in 2019, it would have represented 17.6% of Mali’s GDP

Education and Literacy

Roughly one in six girls enroll in secondary school in Mali. Some significant obstacles, apart from gender discrimination, that prevent girls from continuing their education include child marriage, child labour and domestic work.

Adult literacy rates for both women and men in Mali are significantly lower than the average rate of the Sub-Saharan Africa aggregate. The female literacy rate stood at 25.7% in Mali, in contrast to 62.7% in Sub-Sahara Africa, according to the World Bank. In comparison, the male literacy rate stood at 46.2% in Mali and 74.9% in sub-Saharan Africa. There is not only an overall lower literacy rate in Mali, but also a much larger gap between women and men.

Inequality and Social Norms

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) measured Mali’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) value at 0.612 in 2023. The world’s average score of the same year stood at 0.455. In this metric scale from 0 to 0.900, the closer the measurement is to 0, the less inequality exists between genders.

Despite numerous initiatives and actions taken by humanitarian aid groups and NGOs, such as U.N. Women and Women for Women International, to raise awareness on the gender wage gap in Mali, as well as overall gender inequalities, deeply rooted patriarchal norms significantly obstruct the path towards progress.

At the end of the day, closing the gender wage gap in Mali could require dismantling social norms that impede women from getting an education and entering the workforce. It could require paying close attention to each statistic outlined above and navigating how to ameliorate them.

Breaking the cycle of girls and women disproportionately handling domestic tasks, for example, could allow them to get an education, enter the work force and occupy positions that will eventually bridge the gender wage gap.

The Future

There are a few organizations working in Mali to break these cycles of inequality. The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) works in Mali, among many other African countries, to help girls gain access to quality education by eliminating the barriers preventing them from doing so. It offers bursaries, advocate and collaborate with the government, spread community awareness and train educators for their cause.

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) is another organization operating in Mali to empower women by giving them an outlet to use their voice. They train journalists, mostly women, to report on ethics and women’s rights with a goal to “boost public accountability on human rights issues.”

– Brittany Buscio

Brittany is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Vocational Education Training Centers in Bulgaria

Vocational Education Training Centers in BulgariaAccording to the Berks Technical Institute, a vocational education training center is “often a community-based organization that offers short-term classes, workshops, or certifications aimed at specific job-related skills.” Organizations like these are vital to training the next generations of skill based workers that keep a society functioning and prosperous. A factor in the lack of development of a nation can be that it lacks the facilities and institutions that allow for the cultivation of skill based jobs that can work to give back to their societies. Bulgaria has spent the past 40 years trying to transition away from a state-run command economy under communism to a more free-market economy under a free democratic republic. Here is more information about vocational education training centers in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria’s History

Recent history of not just Bulgaria, but the entire region of the Balkan peninsula has not been in the favor of the people living there and provided a substantial obstacle for the reform and redevelopment of these institutions. After World War 2, Bulgaria became part of the Soviet Union and it imposed its same communist ideology onto its new puppet. As described in Christopher J. Smith’s thesis on the subject “A centrally planned economy was one of the main tenets of communist ideology. Working ‘for the good of society,’ industrial and agricultural output was determined not by supply and demand, but by central administrators.”

Essentially, they were to shield the negative effects of business from the economy by having the government centrally plan the entire thing. While that seems all right on paper, in reality, it diminishes peoples’ incentive to learn the skills they need for a job when the government will just assign someone to it. That philosophy resulted in the vocational institutions of Bulgaria and it worked well during that time.

Vocational Education Training Centers in Bulgaria

When communism fell and the nation was looking to transition into a free-market economy, it just couldn’t keep up. Inflation rose to historic highs, making the currency almost worthless, and people in general just couldn’t afford to get groceries or heat up their homes. However, as the years of the regime recede further and further into the past, reforms have gradually made their way into the system and the results can be seen from the databases the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training keeps on the member states.

It describes drastic measures that the Bulgarian government took in recent years to establish “centers of vocational excellence” and they are described as “funded by the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and are located in leading VET schools across the country. Their aim is to equip students with high-demand skills for the evolving labor market and to foster regional innovation ecosystems.” Bulgaria has established 28 of these CoVEs already and the result is to strengthen the collaboration between education and businesses and local communities.

Mission Possible and the Bulgarian Industrial Association

A specific school in Bulgaria called Mission Possible is actively offering courses for trades such as internet maintenance and hotel services, while also serving disadvantaged communities. In June 2025 alone, 20 women in the city of Sliven who have lost their factory jobs enrolled in the program. These women never had experience with information technology before enrolling and they eventually completed their certification. The course helped these women find jobs and be able to provide for their families.

The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association runs a more national program. It has bases providing vocational training in every major city in the country, including training in industries like business management/administration, production and architecture/construction. Students completing courses at these centers receive the equivalent of a college degree in their respective industries. This provides a fresh start for those that wish to renew their lives and have a new chance at life. 

– Alexander K. Petrov

Alexander is based in Boston, MA, USA and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Job Training for Refugees in Turkey Strengthens Communities

Job Training for Refugees in TurkeyTurkey hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with more than 3 million registered Syrian refugees, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency. Economic pressures have made access to stable employment difficult for many displaced individuals and vulnerable citizens alike. In response, job training for refugees in Turkey has become a strategy to strengthen livelihoods while promoting shared economic participation.

Many refugees in Turkey face significant barriers when they try to enter the formal labor market, including limited access to certified vocational training, challenges with skills recognition and work permit requirements. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that regulatory and structural obstacles push many refugees into informal employment, increasing their vulnerability and limiting long-term stability. At the same time, rising inflation and labor market instability have placed growing economic pressure on Turkish citizens, particularly workers in lower-income sectors. In response, policymakers and development organizations design programs that align vocational training with employer demand and encourage businesses to hire workers formally.

Aligning Skills With Industry Demand

From November 2022 to January 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) implemented a workforce initiative focused on Turkey’s textile sector. The project aimed to expand employment pathways for Syrian refugees and members of host communities through targeted vocational training.

The initiative, titled “Decent and Sustainable Job Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in the Turkish Textile Sector,” aligned training directly with labor market needs. Turkey’s textile industry remains one of the country’s major export sectors and a significant source of employment across manufacturing and supply chains. The Government of the Republic of Korea funded the project with $178,620. In 2023 alone, the program directed $131,522 toward training and implementation activities.

Rather than offering generalized training, the program developed sector-specific curricula in collaboration with textile industry partners to address identified labor market needs. It provided on-the-job training at employer premises, strengthening participants’ practical skills and increasing their chances of securing formal, sustainable employment. By working closely with private-sector actors, the project connected skills development directly to hiring pathways.

Promoting Shared Economic Participation

The project targeted both Syrian refugees and vulnerable Turkish citizens, aiming to strengthen social cohesion by expanding access to vocational training and formal employment pathways.

Access to formal employment plays a key role in economic stability. Formal jobs often provide regulated wages, safer working conditions and access to social protection systems. For displaced individuals, stable employment can reduce reliance on informal labor markets, which frequently offer inconsistent income and limited worker protections.

In addition to UNDP’s textile sector initiative, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has implemented broader employment and vocational training programs to improve refugees’ access to formal labor markets in Turkey. The ILO works with government institutions, employers and worker organizations to expand skills development, promote formal hiring and strengthen labor market governance.

Economic Integration and Long-Term Impact

The World Bank emphasizes that integrating refugees into labor markets can contribute to long-term economic growth when programs align skills development with employer demand. Workforce initiatives that connect vocational education to employer needs can reduce reliance on short-term assistance while strengthening national economies.

Beyond employment-focused initiatives, international agencies have also invested in strengthening the textile sector itself. The United Nations Environment Programme’s InTex Programme trained 230 industry representatives and supported 32 small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting eco-innovation and circular production practices in its first phase. By building technical capacity within the textile value chain, such programs demonstrate how skills development can improve both environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness in refugee-hosting countries.

Employment programs are increasingly recognized as a key component of refugee response strategies. International development agencies note that long-term displacement requires economic solutions that move beyond short-term humanitarian assistance. When refugees gain access to skills training and formal employment, they contribute to local consumption, industrial productivity and broader economic activity. Host countries may also benefit from addressing labor shortages in specific sectors.

Concluding Thoughts

The UNDP textile sector project concluded in January 2025 after completing its planned activities. By combining targeted skills training, industry partnerships and inclusive enrollment, the initiative demonstrated how job training for refugees in Turkey can contribute to poverty reduction, economic resilience and shared prosperity in refugee-hosting countries.

– Isil Ertas Senturk

Isil is based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr