Employment, Skills and Human Capital
The Earth’s forests are some of the richest and most biodiverse habitats we have. The UK has recently mandated all its companies to disclose the financial risks associated with their climate risks, impact and strategies – as per the framework set out by the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) – by 2025. Not only will this help understand how a given company’s activities are contributing to climate change, but the transparency of reported data will also help unlock the investment required by the more complicated carbon emission-management technologies. Applications to join the nursing profession in the UK are soaring. In the past year, the number of people applying to study to become a nurse has risen by almost a third to more than 60,000. There has also been increased interest in related disciplines, including dentistry and medicine. • In the absence of adaptation, developing countries stand to be hit the hardest by trade losses due to climate change. After the number of residents registered in South Korea had already shown a decline for 2020, the fact that the country’s population is decreasing is now cemented by the release of births and deaths data. Already in a league of their own when it comes to sustainability in sport, innovative English soccer club Forest Green Rovers are trialling a kit made from coffee bean waste. The Black Jaguar Foundation (BJF) has just one goal, but it’s a very big one: the NGO founded by the Dutch entrepreneur and environmentalist Ben Valks plans to reforest 1 million hectares (2.4 million acres) on either side of Brazil’s Araguaia and Tocantins rivers in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. What unfolded in Texas wasn’t a power outage – it was a tragedy. And unfortunately, it’s far from the first or the worst we’ve seen in recent years. COVID-19 is deepening inequity both within and beyond borders. And as the world shifts increasingly online, uneven access to technology is leaving much of the global population behind. Whether on land, in the air, or in the water, plants and animals large and small are struggling. COVID-19 struck the aviation industry with unprecedented losses as international passenger traffic dropped by about 90% and around 46 million aviation-related jobs were at risk. In Kuwait alone, those losses were in excess of $1 billion. There were repercussions for families separated, livelihoods interrupted, medical and compassionate travel delayed, education programmes canceled, among many other consequences. During this year’s Davos Agenda Week, leaders from the private and public sectors highlighted the urgent need to halt and reverse nature loss. Deliberate action on the interlinked climate and ecological crises to achieve a net-zero, nature-positive economy is paramount. At the same time, these leaders also presented a message of hope: that investing in nature holds the key to ensuring economic and social prosperity and resilience. 1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe Right now an estimated 150 million tonnes of plastic waste is floating in our marine environments. Every year around 11 million additional tonnes make their way into our oceans. The global losses from multinational companies’ tax abuses amount to hundreds of billions of dollars a year – revenues that are badly needed as the costs of the pandemic mount up. But international reform efforts have stalled and some future consensus seems unlikely. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the pressing challenges already faced by families and communities in fragile contexts. The Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19, together with existing humanitarian appeals, totalled $39 billion. As of November 2020, donors had given $17 billion to inter-agency plans – around a $22 billion shortfall. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates confirm that donor funding and development finance remains insufficient to meet the overall need (Figure 1). The world is well behind target on its climate change goals, but there are growing signs of accelerating action. More and more countries are committing to carbon neutrality in two or three decades. Oil and gas companies are under increasing pressure from investors and activists to do more. COP26 in Glasgow later this year offers the prospect of renewed momentum. Heralded by the whirr of its underpowered electric engine and the clink of bottles stacked in crates on the back, Ella Shone’s ‘Topup Truck’ started life ferrying morning milk to the doorsteps of bleary-eyed Londoners. Despite the global economic slowdown caused by COVID-19, the case for investing in Africa is stronger than ever. Africa will remain a competitive investment destination for decades to come because of its improving relative risk profiles, regional integration and strong economic fundamentals. Two scholars who have been studying diversity for decades say that the business case is a dangerous fallacy, one that lets leaders off the hook and trades human dignity for dollars. China, which long targeted rapid industrial growth despite its environmental consequences, now aims to become the global leader in “low-carbon tech for a carbon-constrained world” as it unveils its new five-year plan this week, China analysts said. Fixing pay inequality is not the silver bullet solution to creating more inclusive fair organisations and economies (famous last words of the CEO of a company developing innovative pay equity and fair pay software). But an innovative rewiring of jobs, complete with a new innovative look at reward and compensation is. As G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meet virtually this week, the world continues to climb back from the worst recession in peacetime since the Great Depression. The economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound detrimental effect for most people around the world. Yet, it has impacted men and women differently. Women are more likely to work in health care, unpaid care, and domestic work, making them more susceptible to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women still earn less than men for equally valued jobs, bear more of the childcare burden, and face a higher risk of violence in their homes. The pandemic has widened the gender gap in labor force participation, risking decades of progress for women as workers and entrepreneurs. As we write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is still claiming lives and livelihoods, and government policies to address the gender effects of the pandemic have not been enough given the magnitude of the challenge. In the past year, COVID-19 has tested education sectors around the world in unprecedented ways. From the massive spread of online learning to the emergence of alternative providers, the remarkable efforts to cope with the pandemic have opened an invitation to reimagine school education in a post-COVID-19 world.Show Agenda posts
View more Employment posts
5 facts you might not know about why forest biodiversity matters
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Why private capital is the key to unlocking carbon capture at scale
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Record numbers of people in the UK have applied to study nursing
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
The developing world must get ready to adapt its trade to climate change
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
This chart shows South Korea’s population is ageing and shrinking
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Introducing the ‘world’s greenest football club’ – and their new kit made from coffee beans
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Brazil’s plan for a 2,600km ‘Green corridor’ that will plant 1.7 billion trees
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Why we need to bridge the digital divide for greater equality
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
On World Wildlife Day, a host of conservation success stories
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
This country is restarting air travel. Here’s how
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
7 ‘Champions for Nature’ tell us their must-read books
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 3 March
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Reducing plastic waste at source is a key part of Indonesia’s battle against ocean pollution
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
Here’s a simple and fair way to end corporate tax abuse
Wednesday 3rd of March 2021
How improved data could boost humanitarian investment
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
For climate policies to stay on track we must prepare for transition risks
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
This retro milk float is helping Londoners pursue a ‘zero-waste’ future
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Investors are failing African entrepreneurs — it’s time for a change
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
For better diversity, leaders should create a cultural shift – here’s how
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
China’s new 5-year plan: Shifting investment from coal to green tech
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Gender equality: Why pay equity isn’t enough
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
IMF Head: How governments can prevent widening inequality
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Women’s rights must be central to the global recovery. Here’s why
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Why we must reimagine capacity building to strengthen education after COVID-19
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Gender Parity
Fixing pay inequality is not the silver bullet solution to creating more inclusive fair organisations and economies (famous last words of the CEO of a company developing innovative pay equity and fair pay software). But an innovative rewiring of jobs, complete with a new innovative look at reward and compensation is. The economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound detrimental effect for most people around the world. Yet, it has impacted men and women differently. Women are more likely to work in health care, unpaid care, and domestic work, making them more susceptible to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women still earn less than men for equally valued jobs, bear more of the childcare burden, and face a higher risk of violence in their homes. The pandemic has widened the gender gap in labor force participation, risking decades of progress for women as workers and entrepreneurs. As we write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is still claiming lives and livelihoods, and government policies to address the gender effects of the pandemic have not been enough given the magnitude of the challenge. “While I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” In the last century, significant progress has been made in advancing gender equity in the United States. Women gained the right to vote, fathers have become more involved parents and more people and institutions recognize gender identities beyond the binary categories of male and female. What does her career rise represent for Nigerian women? Look on the website of many employers and you’ll find a statement of their commitment to diversity and inclusion. But how many of them deliver on that promise? Now a leading jobs site is answering that question by publishing employees’ views about how companies perform in relation to race and gender. Returns to schooling for women are high – so says Bono and the research. A couple of years ago, in an essay in Time magazine Bono wrote: “Give girls just one additional year of schooling and their wages go up almost 12 percent.” He said the same thing a year before that at the Munich Security Conference. The source of that quote was a 2014 World Bank paper and a recent update confirms this is still the case. At the same time, girls are staying in school longer and learning more. However, these gains are at risk as COVID-19 is presenting a crisis within a crisis for girls’ education. All New Zealand schools will have free access to sanitary products from June, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday, an initiative aimed at stamping out period poverty in the country. Women across the world have made an enormous contribution to the global efforts to tackle COVID-19. Not only do women make up 70% of the world’s health workers and first responders, women in STEM fields have been leading research into the virus, creating trackers and developing vaccines. Every debate about what is innate to humans and what is learned from society runs into the problem of having to rely on humans who live in some kind of society for reference. Claims about human nature can easily be repackaged as claims about people living in similar cultures and vice versa. Countries must put more women into leadership roles to build a stronger post-pandemic world, a top U.N. official said, as data showed women could be waiting more than a century to see equality at the highest political echelons. If you are working in Jordan, Saint Lucia, Botswana, Honduras or the Philippines, it is actually more likely that your boss is a woman than a man. This is according to 2019 numbers released by the International Labor Organization. Jordan led the pack with 62 percent of all managerial positions filled by women. But the numbers also show that only five out of 83 countries reporting these figures to the ILO have achieved gender parity in leadership positions. Seven in 10 workers on the frontline of the pandemic are female yet women are left out of many COVID-19 response and recovery plans, according to a global survey published on Thursday. In less than 12 months, the United States lost 22 years of progress towards gender pay equity and 32 years of progress towards gender parity in the labour markets. If we don’t recuperate these losses now, we will not only face a sluggish economic recovery, we will also experience greater levels of inequity in the decades ahead. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of American life, including how people work, get an education, connect with their family and friend networks and fill their social calendars. Despite quarantine orders that forced many people to stay home and spend more time with their families, a new Pew Research Center analysis of October 2020 survey data finds that many of the dynamics between couples haven’t changed much during this turbulent time. • The finance gap for women-led tech entrepreneurs is proving hard to shift. • Women make up the majority of the global unbanked population. Indy Mellink, a Dutch card fan, was explaining a game to her cousins last summer when she asked herself: why should a king be worth more than a queen? • Despite making key contributions in the technology sector, Black people continue to face barriers to entry. Marian Croak has a unique way of looking at the world. It probably explains why the inventor of one of 2020’s most essential technologies – Voice over Internet Protocol – and Google’s Vice-President of Engineering has hundreds of patents to her name. Diversity efforts may have given women a seat at the table – or, in the context of the pandemic, a place on the Zoom call – but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a voice. The female population in U.S. jails has risen as the male population has declined. Many women enter jails suffering mental health crises and addictions, and sometimes pregnant. Yet local lockups are ill-equipped to handle this growing population pool. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic downturn it has caused, have hit everyone hard. But the impact has not been spread equally. A report in November by UN Women found clear evidence that, although both genders have seen their unpaid workloads increase, women are bearing more of the burden than men. Business magazine Forbes has published its 2020 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. A global look at how people spend their timeShow Agenda posts
View more Gender posts
Gender equality: Why pay equity isn’t enough
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
Women’s rights must be central to the global recovery. Here’s why
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
International Women’s Day: The women making history in 2021 – so far
Tuesday 2nd of March 2021
5 ways parents can help their children avoid gender stereotypes
Monday 1st of March 2021
Okonjo-Iweala becoming WTO head is ground-breaking for all women
Monday 1st of March 2021
This site aims to show how race and gender affect your pay and prospects at work
Monday 1st of March 2021
World Bank: COVID-19 school closures threaten women’s economic future
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
New Zealand’s Ardern announces free sanitary products in all schools to beat period poverty
Thursday 18th of February 2021
These 8 women in STEM are at the forefront of the world’s response to COVID-19
Thursday 11th of February 2021
Why living in a matriarchal society is better for women’s health
Thursday 11th of February 2021
Why the world needs more female leaders
Tuesday 9th of February 2021
These countries have the highest percentage of female managers
Monday 8th of February 2021
Women on the frontline are being left out of COVID-19 response plans, poll finds
Monday 8th of February 2021
How we measure stakeholder capitalism will determine our recovery
Friday 5th of February 2021
For American couples, gender gaps in sharing household responsibilities persist amid pandemic
Friday 29th of January 2021
Funding for female-led start-ups: are accelerators widening the gender gap?
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
Tech can reach the world’s unbanked women – but only if they tell us how it should work
Friday 22nd of January 2021
How a genderless card deck might make you think differently about inequality
Friday 22nd of January 2021
Stitching up racism: how knitting is helping break down barriers in South African tech
Thursday 21st of January 2021
3 women of colour on how to boost diversity from the outside in
Sunday 17th of January 2021
Why women don’t speak up on Zoom calls – and why that’s a problem
Thursday 7th of January 2021
Dying inside: The hidden crisis in America’s jails
Tuesday 22nd of December 2020
COVID-19: How women are bearing the burden of unpaid work
Friday 18th of December 2020
These are the world’s most powerful women
Friday 18th of December 2020
How do people spend their time? This chart takes a global look
Wednesday 16th of December 2020
