Expert Panel: Informality and COVID-19 in South Asia
Among the world’s developing regions, South Asia has the highest share of informal employment. More than 80 percent of workers in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are informal. These workers are excluded from labor laws and social protection schemes that apply to organized labor and the specific risks associated with COVID-19 exacerbate their situation. Informal workers are particularly vulnerable to shocks as they tend to have less cash on hand and more limited access to credit. They are also more likely to lose their jobs and face extreme poverty and food insecurity as the pandemic intensifies across the region. This webinar brings together academics, policy advisors, health policy experts, and civil society leaders to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on South Asia’s most vulnerable people.
Speakers
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Ravi Kanbur
T. H. Lee Professor of World Affairs, Cornell University
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Hans Timmer
World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia
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Ishrat Husain
Advisor for Institutional Reforms and Austerity to Prime Minister of Pakistan
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Renana Jhabvala
National Coordinator of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) of India, Chair of SEWA Bharat and co-founder and board chair of WIEGO
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Sabina Faiz Rashid
Dean, School of Public Health, BRAC University
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Illango Patchamuthu
Director for Strategy and Operations, South Asia Region, World Bank
