A just, equitable future of work begins with the voice of workers.
We provide a knowledge and action hub dedicated to advancing the rights, lives, and livelihoods of workers in the informal economy.
KenyaJuly 21, 2026 · Global Fairness Initiative
ILI Factsheet: Grassroots Forum on the Future of Work
On June 18, 2026, the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI) and our partners convened the Grassroots Forum on the Future of Work in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together more than 180 participants from government, worker organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector — 70% of them representing worker organizations. Rooted in GFI's belief that worker voice is key to equitable and sustainable economic growth, the forum provided a unique platform for informal workers to shape the dialogue on Africa's rapidly changing labour landscape. Africa stands at a critical juncture: informal employment accounts for more than 85% of all jobs across the continent , and in Kenya, nearly nine out of every ten new jobs created over the last five years have come from the informal sector. Yet the workers who sustain this economy remain disproportionately excluded from the conversations designed to address their needs. The forum explored three interconnected themes: pathways to formalization and social protection; the specific realities of women and youth in the informal economy; and new and emerging forms of work reshaping employment across the continent.
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We amplify worker voices.
The Global Fairness Initiative's Inclusive Labor Institute (ILI) is a worker-centered hub focused on improving the nature of work for the more than two billion workers in the global informal economy. We are a bridge between worker organizations, civil society, and public and private institutions.
Lens
Worker-centered
Grounding research and action in workers' lived experience.
Focus
Informal economy
Especially where formal protections are weakest.
Approach
Knowledge & action
Pairing evidence with applied tools and collaboration.
Global Reach
A bridge between worker organizations, civil society, and public and private institutions.
- Evidence on the realities of informal work
- Tools and learning offers for policy and practice
- Spaces for dialogue with decision-makers
Community VoicesJuly 21, 2026 · Julia Tucker
Rethinking Growth and Inclusion: Insights from Richard Samans
In "Human-Centred Economics," Richard Samans proposes a set of best practices that shift the focus of economic policy from maximizing GDP to making the world economy work better for people's lives.
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Learn and connect with us
Explore our knowledge products, learning opportunities, and community spaces.
Knowledge Hub
Research, briefs, and visualizations on informal work and worker voice to inform policy and programming.
- Worker-led studies and briefs
- Country and sector snapshots
- Visual tools to support decision-making
Worker Stories
In workers' own words
Community Voices that bring the realities of workers in the informal economy to life.
Knowledge Hub
Latest research & publications
Worker-led studies, briefs, and data from across the informal economy.
May 11, 2026Global Fairness Initiative
Informality, Accountability, and Labor Rights for Data Workers in East Africa
Although artificial intelligence (AI) and social media platforms are often thought of as amorphous, autonomous technologies, they require a vast unseen human labor force to be produced and operated. Content moderators, who determine if user-generated content meets community guidelines, and data annotators, who train AI models by identifying objects, patterns, and audio, make this tech possible. Data worker vulnerabilities parallel those of workers in the informal economy, where workers have temporary or no work contracts and lack access to social security benefits. This informality undermines data workers’ agency in global supply chains and leads to lower wages, poor working conditions, and minimal social protections. Moreover, the data work outsourcing system is embedded in a broader system of “digital colonialism,” in which value flows out of the Global South while decision-making power remains with actors in the Global North, perpetuating a vicious cycle of exploitation.
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ILI Factsheet: Informality, Accountability, and Labor Rights for Data Workers in East Africa
New Forms of Work, Old Forms of Exploitation: An Analysis of Tunisia's Platform and Informal Economies
ILI Study: Bridging Policy and Practice: Improving Working Conditions and Advancing Formalization for Informal Workers in Nairobi and Kiambu
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