Reflections on 2020 and the Future of Work
At the beginning of the year, it was impossible to imagine what would unfold over the course of 2020. As the year comes to a close, we are confronting the ever-worsening tragedy of a global pandemic, and hoping that 2021 brings relief and recovery from the health and economic toll that it has taken on our country and the world. The pandemic has dramatically accelerated many of the trends shaping the future of work, from e-commerce to automation to remote work. Its disparate impacts on people of color and women reflect the ongoing urgency to develop equitable solutions. Though these trends and challenges predate the pandemic, it has made policy conversations about how best to help workers confront these challenges even more critical.
AGLN Fellows Making an Impact on 2020
During a fraught 2020, around the network Fellows around the network stepped up and addressed the urgent needs of the COVID-19 crisis while building toward a more equitable future. We saw Fellows scale existing initiatives, start new ones, and find new ways to collaborate with one-another – leveraging different strengths to create new solutions. We, as a network, found new ways to connect virtually, sharing insights in real-time as parts of the world experienced these challenges, at different rates. We pivoted to accelerate growth, convened for action, and worked to uplift, codify, and exemplify leadership. Read on for a look back on all the ways we drove toward impact this year.
By collecting detailed quantitative and qualitative data insights from firms employing between 1 and 20 non-family workers in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, Indonesia and Fiji, the study will shed light on how small business owners across the world manage their financial decision making amidst uncertain and volatile economies. While there has been a great deal of research on informal family-run “microenterprises,” and more professionalised “medium-sized” firms, the needs of small firms are not yet well-understood.
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For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, small firms play a crucial role in economic development and job creation and insight is needed to understand the unique challenges faced by them in order to create sustainable solutions for their longevity and growth.
The South America-Africa-Middle East-Asia Women Summit (SAMEAWS) is an unprecedented summit aimed at bringing together the most influential and prominent women as well as key stakeholders from these regions, under one roof, to discuss the need to recognize and harness the untapped and profitable opportunities that women economic and political engagements presents. The Summit has proven to be the premier gathering of women and key stakeholders from South America, Africa, Middle East & Asia, with a record attendance of delegates from 35 countries from the maiden 2013 edition to date. Leaders, from various economies such as Bahrain, India, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Qatar, all regions of Africa, the United States and the UAE, form part of the past participants of this summit.
Moving Beyond Gratitude: Opportunities to Improve Essential Work
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Among the many unexpected lessons of 2020 was a recognition of the importance of essential workers. We saw how much we rely on the people who work in our food systems, who care for our children and our loved ones, who deliver packages, and who keep our public spaces clean. We learned to say thank you to so many of them, and in this season of thanks, we reflect on how we can do more than say thank you by improving the quality of essential jobs. As the year draws to a close, we discuss the important role of essential workers in our economy and society and a variety of approaches for improving essential work.