Reported end date passed· Health

F.a: Formalizing Informal Work in the Health Sector

The objective of the project is to improve the rights, working conditions and job security of the female volunteer workers in the health care sector in Nepal. The trade unions mobilizing the volunteer health workers have created a joint trade union platfor m, in order to jointly reinforce the mass power and strengthen the identity as real workers who deserve the benefits and remuneration for the tasks they perform. The weak situation of the volunteers will be raised into the national debate and people´s con sciousness. The long-term aim of the project is to ensure that volunteer health workers are recognized as permanent public employees. In Nepal, there are 50 000 volunteer health workers, who do life-saving priceless work in communities under the Female Com munity Health Volunteer (FCHV) -program. Their working terms are highly informal, despite the fact, that their work is to produce regular and vital public health services. The group of FCHVs represent the single largest segment of informal public services workers in Nepal. These women do not get any salary, only some of their work expenses are reimbursed, and they are economically in a very vulnerable position. The FCHVs do regular and vital work that saves lives of mothers and infants in rural areas, witho ut any benefits of a normal employee status. As a result of the project, the unions create a joint charter of demands. Based on the charter and a baseline study conducted in 2017, an advocacy campaign to formalize the employment of the FCHVs is launched. A large part of the health volunteers work in rural areas and for that reason the information sharing and union communication will be extended geographically to cover also rural areas. Trade union leaders and activists are trained in strategic planning, cam paigning and labor legislation. The project benefits the female community health workers of Nepal. The project is implemented by Public Services International (PSI) together with its member unions HEPON, NEVA and ANWHVWU.

Source-reported status: active. Timeline labels use reported dates and do not verify current activity.