Social Protection In The Informal Economy: Home-based Women Workers and Outsourced Manufacturing in Asia

This paper draws on surveys carried out in five Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines) where home-based work (HBW) is widespread. It examines characteristics of home workers and, in particular, conditions of women as home workers. The social protection needs of these women are also examined, and arguments in favour of public action to promote such work as a possible new labour-intensive growth strategy are presented.