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Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Women are lagging behind on AI but they can catch up
Women are more likely than men to be in jobs at risk of being automated, but they are also 25 per cent less likely than men to have basic digital skills, separate studies show. The findings, from the International Labour Organisation and the UN respectively, highlight an urgent challenge for women across the world. The artificial intelligence -driven industrial revolution ought to offer a unique opportunity for everyone to shape the future of work, but many women are already behind. A 2024 Danish study of 100,000 workers found 'a staggering gender gap in the adoption of ChatGPT: women are 20 percentage points less likely to use ChatGPT than men in the same occupation'. The researchers found the gap persisted when people in the same workplaces were compared. So how can women keep up with AI developments – especially those who might feel too busy to take time off for training within a part-time schedule, or who may be in denial about AI's all-consuming importance? The challenges are understandable: it is hard to know where to start. READ MORE A useful resource is research company Charter's Guide to AI in the Workplace. Instead of focusing on ideas and AI's 'maybe' impacts, this report has case studies on how some prominent companies are working with staff to share AI best practice. But small employers don't have anything like these resources and, as the UK's Pissarides Review into the future of work and wellbeing points out, 'good impacts – including upskilling and the substitution of routine tasks – cannot be assumed and must be proactively shaped'. So how can you use AI yourself, even when there is no corporate, or even team-level, push for change? The best advice I have seen is from Slack , the workplace collaboration platform, which recommends setting aside time for experimentation and learning. It is also good to be curious about AI, more generally. My recent reading includes 'AI will change what it is to be human. Are we ready?' by economist Tyler Cowen and Avital Balwit of AI software developer Anthropic. [ Are fears of an AI slash and burn of white-collar roles well founded? Opens in new window ] I am also experimenting. I asked the FT's ChatGPT Enterprise to tell me what is holding women back in adopting AI. It pointed to a 2024 study on women and generative AI by Deloitte, the consultancy. The researchers expected 'the proportion of women experimenting with and using gen AI for projects and tasks will match or surpass that of men in the United States by the end of 2025'. So it is not all doom and gloom. Caution is still good. As noted last month, generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude may sometimes demonstrate how 'the potential biases of those working at AI companies can seep into their models'. An FT reporter ran a series of questions about AI bosses through different chatbots, and each model was far more favourable about its own leader. Women make up just a third of the AI workforce, according to world Economic Forum figures. But that should give us all the more reason to learn more about large language models and AI-powered agents – and start to influence how to build knowledge in our own organisations. You will know the saying that 'AI is not going to take your job – someone using AI will'. That sounds reassuring for anyone who has mastered AI and validates those who are experimenting. Unfortunately, like many things in the AI spin cycle, even this idea may be outdated. Sangeet Paul Choudary, a tech author and adviser, says this idea is 'true, but utterly useless'. In his Substack newsletter, he says the statement 'directs your attention to the individual task level – automation vs augmentation of the tasks you perform – when the real shift is happening at the level of the entire system of work'. That difference takes some processing but is a useful way to see the bigger picture. If you have yet to use generative AI, don't panic. Time is on your side. Consultancy McKinsey has found that, despite the hype, only 1 per cent of leaders say their companies are 'mature' on AI deployment. The other 99 per cent? That's where the rest of us work. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Health
- Business Standard
India flags concerns on ILO's biological hazard pact for informal sector
India has cautioned the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that the 'universal' coverage envisaged under the recently adopted convention on protecting workers from the devastating impact of uncontrolled biological hazards in the workplace may be challenging—particularly for the informal sector and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). India also expressed concern about the applicability of the convention beyond the workplace setting. "We understand the importance of labour safety, but it is also important to ensure that the definitions of the proposed instrument are not so broad that they apply beyond the workplace setting. The [Convention's] universal coverage approach may be challenging, particularly for informal sectors and MSMEs," said Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in his address at the International Labour Conference (ILC). Virat Jaiswal, general secretary of the National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU), said the government is concerned that the definitions used in the instrument are too broad, potentially resulting in its application outside the workplace and leading to over-regulation. Last week, during the annual ILC in Geneva, the United Nations body adopted the Biological Hazards in the Working Environment Convention—the first-ever international instrument specifically addressing biological hazards in the workplace at a global level. The convention aims to safeguard workers who may come into contact with microbes, DNA material, bodily fluids, parasites, toxins, allergens and other biological agents during the course of their work. It applies to all workers in all branches of economic activity but requires countries to take specific measures in high-risk sectors and occupations. B Surendran, organising secretary of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), said the need for such a convention was reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed millions globally, disrupted economies and crippled health systems. 'A lot of people contracted COVID-19 at the workplace. Hence, the convention sets out mechanisms and frameworks to deal with such eventualities. It has always been important to address biological hazards in workplaces, but now it's becoming even more critical,' he added. The ILO's 187 member states—equally represented by governments, employers and trade unions in the ILC—are now required to ratify the convention.
The South African
3 days ago
- General
- The South African
Global child labour: Millions exploited worldwide
Global Child Labour Joint Report of 2025 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) affirms that almost 138 million children globally are victims of forced labour. Of these, 54 million are doing life-threatening work; some of them are under 12 years old, and they are handling chemicals and using dangerous tools in harsh conditions. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected area, with 87 million child labourers, or almost two-thirds of the world's total. Children in war zones are 21% more likely to end up working than kids who live in other places. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 8.7, UN member states pledged in 2025 to end child labour by 2025. UNICEF reports that 59% of working children do not attend school, and 71% of children in Asia-Pacific experience complete school exclusion. The African Union's plan to eliminate child labour by 2030 provides a roadmap for the entire continent, aligning with Agenda 2063. However, progress is still uneven, and UNICEF is demanding free, high-quality education, stricter enforcement of labour laws, and more investment in education and child protection in rural areas. UNICEF's Regional Child Protection Advisor for East and Southern Africa, Nankali Maksud, highlights both challenges and progress. Children's labour is common in informal agriculture, domestic work, and street vending. Poverty is one of the key drivers, often forcing children to contribute to household income when families can't afford basic needs. South Africa has made commendable efforts through legislation, education, and social grants, all components which lead to the reduction of child labour. However, not only in South Africa but also throughout sub-Saharan Africa, more focused action is required. In its 2024-2025 Global Education Monitoring Report, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reports that 251 million children globally are still not attending school, a 1% decrease since 2015. Director-General Audrey Azoulay points out that by the time they are ten years old, three out of four children in developing nations are illiterate. She advocates for community-led, inclusive leadership in education, addressing gender disparities and assisting school administrators. According to the report, collaborative models that help keep kids in school and enhance learning outcomes should replace strict hierarchies. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Children must be in school, not at work
Despite the decline, child labour persisted. Child labour has sharply declined in post-apartheid South Africa, due to the department of employment and labour's enforcement of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, according to experts. This became apparent with World Day Against Child Labour last week. First declared by the International Labour Organisation in 2002, World Day Against Child Labour is intended to foster the worldwide movement against child labour. According to United Nations agency Unicef, child labour still affects nearly 138 million children worldwide. Unicef maintains children globally are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work. Cosatu national spokesperson Matthew Parks said while the Act prohibited the employment of minors, South Africa has seen 'many employers ignore it'. Where some of the abuses occur Parks said significant abuses occurred in the agricultural, transport and retail sectors. 'Cosatu and its affiliates have focused on ensuring employers comply with the labour laws – exposing those who break the law and reporting offenders to the department of employment and labour,' he said. 'We are encouraged by the department's recent recruitment of 10 000 labour inspectors and plans for a further 10 000 next year. These will be a powerful boost to enforcing labour laws. 'Children must be in school, not at work,' said Parks. ALSO READ: Witness 'too scared to testify' in Chinese human trafficking and child labour case Decline Prof Lucien van der Walt, director of the Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit at Rhodes University, said child labour has 'to a large extent, sharply declined in post-apartheid South Africa'. 'It is illegal,' said Van der Walt. He said there were third party audits on child labour, conducted by the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa and the Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association. 'A key effect in sectors like agriculture, which used to make fairly extensive use of child labour, no longer do so,' he said. 'A 2025 study by Derek Yu, Simba Murozvi and Clinton Herwel found that child labour under the age of 15 has decreased to less than 1% in commercial agriculture.' Despite the decline, child labour persisted. 'The ability and willingness of the state to carry out inspections is limited, with inspectors sometimes relying on employers' accounts,' said Van der Walt. 'Regulations are in practice, mainly enforced against larger businesses and employers, including farms. 'Statistics tend to only capture regulated activities and work for money. 'Millions are not in reality, covered by regulations – either because of how regulations are framed or because regulations are just not enforced.' Informal sector He said patterns varied by region, 'but there is evidence of ongoing child labour in unregulated or so-called informal parts of the economy'. This included family businesses – based at home or on the street, including small-scale family farms, casual, domestic and taxi labour. 'Not all of this is paid in wages – often it is driven by the family's situation,' he said. 'While larger, regulated employers, have little reason these days to draw on child labour, there is a large pool of unemployed adults, as well as cheap immigrant labour. Such labour is often important in the informal economy.' The informal economy was 'often praised by government and the media, as an engine of growth and jobs'. 'But this romantic picture, hides the reality of battles to survive: low incomes, insecure work, lack of protections, minimum wages, social insurance, abuses like stolen wages, union-bashing and some of the worst working and employment conditions in the country.' NOW READ: New employment code aims to address SA unemployment crisis
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UP begins week-long drive against child labour
Lucknow: Marking the 'World Day against child labour', state labour minister Anil Rajbhar said that a week-long campaign against child labour will be held in the state from June 12-19. The 'Child labour prohibition week' will feature various programmes to reinforce the need for the complete eradication of child labour in the state. The govt has partnered with UNICEF to implement this programme. Rajbhar made this announcement from Geneva in Switzerland, where he is currently attending the International Labour Conference organised by the International Labour Organisation. The minister addressed a session on child labour, where he spoke about the efforts being made by the UP govt to crack down on child labour and appealed to factory owners to pledge that they would not employ children. Among initiatives taken by the UP govt, the minister spoke about the Atal residential schools, operational in 17 divisions in the state, especially for children of labourers. He urged the global community to adopt this innovative model from UP and establish similar schools worldwide to prevent children from following their parents into the field. He further said that over the past 11 years, the Indian govt achieved remarkable success in expanding social security coverage, a crucial step in ensuring that families were not forced to push their children into work. India's social security coverage grew from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, the minister claimed, adding that with over 94 crore citizens covered, India now ranks second globally in social security coverage. The minister said that currently, around 80 lakh individuals are engaged in the gig and platform economy in India, a number projected to rise to approximately 2.4-2.5 crore by 2030. "Their social security needs must be recognised and addressed. The UP labour and employment department has already begun identifying the specific needs of these workers and is actively developing strategies and frameworks to support them," he said. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
