Unacceptable forms of work: A multidimensional model

Unacceptable forms of work (UFW) have been identified as an “area of critical importance” for the ILO as it approaches its centenary. Yet there is currently no comprehensive elaboration of the dimensions, causes or manifestations of UFW. This article reports on a research project that has proposed such a framework. The article first investigates and reconceptualizes key discourses on contemporary work to identify their contribution to an analytically rigorous conception of UFW. It then outlines a novel Multidimensional Model that has been designed for use by local policy actors in identifying and targeting UFW in countries across a range of income levels.     

Un modèle multidimensionnel pour appréhender les formes de travail inacceptables

À l'approche de son centenaire, l'OIT a inclus la lutte contre les formes de travail inacceptables parmi les «domaines de première importance» devant guider son action. Cependant, pour les auteures, ces modalités particulières, leurs causes, leurs dimensions et leurs manifestations appellent encore une analyse exhaustive. Elles s'attaquent donc à ce projet, en commençant par exploiter les apports des différents courants d'analyse sur le travail contemporain, puis en proposant un modèle multidimensionnel novateur, que les acteurs sur le terrain devraient pouvoir utiliser pour repérer et traiter les formes de travail inacceptables à l'échelon national, quel que soit le niveau de revenu du pays.     

The effects of monetized food aid on reproductive behavior in rural Honduras

This article presents research findings on the question of whether the monetization of non-emergency food aid has adversely influenced national family planning program efforts in Honduras. Women receiving food aid in the form of cash coupons are compared in the study with women receiving food rations and a third group of women with similar characteristics who were not food aid recipients on three types of outcomes: recent fertility, fertility preferences, and contraceptive use. The health facilities where study subjects received health/family planning services and food aid benefits were also compared to assess possible adverse cross-program effects on family planning service delivery. A sample selection model was used in the analysis to control for unobserved differences between comparison groups. No compelling evidence for adverse demand- or supply-side effects of monetized food aid on family planning efforts was observed. The most striking study finding was the extremely high level of unmet need for family planning.