6. Livelihood Pledges

Drafting AGD Sensitive Pledges to barriers to Jobs and Livelihoods

Issues and responses to include in new pledges:

  • That all refugees be provided access to legal, safe and sustainable work opportunities.
  • That the specific barriers and challenges faced by women and adolescent girls when seeking employment and livelihoods, in particular risks of SGBV, including forced marriage, and being forced to sell or exchange sex, be documented at a local level, and strategies put in place to address these.
  • That livelihood projects targeting women and adolescent girls look beyond the traditional craft and dressmaking skills, and include skills audits, analysis of local markets, and feasibility studies. 
  • The future benefits to both refugee and host communities of programs which support self-sufficiency and sustainability should be core to program development and recognise and address the diversity of women and girls’ needs. Programs should offer opportunity to all women and girls ranging from those with high level tertiary skills to those who are preliterate. The additional barriers and discriminations frequently faced by women and girls with a disability, Indigenous and stateless women and by lesbian, bisexual and transgender women must also be addressed in all programs.

Examples of possible pledges:

  1. A pledge inclusive of Women and Girls across all Age and Diversity Groups:

In partnership with the ILO and Refugee Women’s CBOs, we x NGOs commit to developing innovative livelihoods programs that provide inclusive and sustainable employment opportunities and pathways for all women and girls. Targeted support will be provided for women and girls with a disability and for women and girls survivors of SGBV and those who have missed educational opportunities due to early and forced marriage. This Pledge will address …… Plus issues from above. 

A pledge inclusive of all AGD groups:

We x State commit to providing work rights to all refugee women and men and to developing labour legislation that respects and is inclusive of the rights of all members of refugee communities. This will include special provisions to support the development of disability-friendly workplaces and employment quotas for refugee women. This Pledge will address …… Plus issues from above.