Mapping Equal Rights Around the WoRLD

Saturday, May 1st, 2010IHSP Research to Policy Conference

Background: The Need for a New Approach Until now, there has been little globally comparative data

regarding legislation and public policy.

This has made it impossible to rapidly compare protections available around the world for marginalized populations struggling to achieve equal rights.

The absence of global information has made it difficult for actors to establish where their country stands in relation to others, to know whether it is meeting commonly accepted global standards, and to hold governments accountable for the commitments they have made.

WoRLD Data Centre Overview

The World Legal Rights Data Centre (WoRLD) is a unique initiative aimed at improving the quantity and quality of comparative data available to policymakers, citizens, civil society, and researchers around the world on policies affecting human health, development, wellbeing, and equity.

WoRLD includes data and comparative analysis on 192 countries.

Components of WoRLD

The Institute for Health and Social Policy is gathering and analyzing data for the following components of WoRLD:

1. The Work, Family and Equity Index

2. The Discrimination and Equity in Constitutions Project

3. The Education Initiative

4. The Child Labour Initiative

5. The Poverty Reduction Global Policy Database

1.The Work, Family and Equity Index

After determining key elements of work and family rights outlined in international conventions, WFEI examines, among other policies:

Leave to address children’s health and educational needs Leave for the birth or adoption of a child Breastfeeding breaks Overtime policy Annual leave Sick leave Bans on night work Leave to care for ill family members Mandatory days of rest from work

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Labour Policy? 98 countries offer paid sick leave for 26 weeks or until

recovery.

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Labour Policy? All but seven countries offer paid maternal leave.

2. The Discrimination and Equity in Constitutions Project

Types of rights: Civil Education Family Health Legal Political Work

Non-discrimination by: Age Citizenship Disability Language National Origin Race/ethnicity Religion Sex/gender Sexual orientation

This initiative assesses the types of equal rights and anti-discrimination provisions put forth in charters of rights and constitutions. Based on 37 international conventions and fundamental equity principles, a framework consisting of relevant rights was developed. It involves looking at:

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Discrimination and Equity? 84 countries guarantee the right to equality before the

law in the Constitution to all residents.

Constitutional Guarantees for Right to Equality Before the Law

Guaranteed & Justiciable

Guaranteed

Guaranteed with Potential Denials

Aspirational

Not Universally Granted

Not Mentioned in Constitution

Potentially Denied

Insufficient Data

Do All Residents Have a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right to Equality Before the Law?

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Discrimination and Equity? Civil rights include the right to liberty, right to freedom of religion or conscience, right

to freedom of assembly, and right to freedom of expression. 154 countries guarantee all of these rights in their Constitution using universal language.

3. The Education Initiative

This initiative provides a comprehensive source of data on educational policy, practice, and progress around the globe, motivated by the goals of UNESCO’s Education for All 2015. The following measures, among others, are being examined:

Availability of pre-primary to tertiary education

Teaching days per year and years of schooling mandated

Teacher training and education level Adult and special education provision

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Education? 8 countries reported no special education provisions and

an additional 16 had no public sector special education.

4. The Child Labour Initiative

UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and optional protocols on armed conflict and prostitution/pornography

ILO Minimum Age Convention, C-138 (1973)

ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, C-182 (1999)

UN Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976)

This initiative will allow researchers to launch investigations into the relationships between international standards and domestic legislation on child labour and health and social outcomes. The indicators which will be included in the database have been chosen to reflect countries’ performances in relation to the recommendations put forth in the following international statements and conventions:

Where Does the WoRLD Stand on Child Labour? Eight countries do not prohibit youth from performing

hazardous labour at age 14.

Type of Work Permitted at Age 14

No work permitted

Work permitted under certain specific circumstances

Light work permitted

General employment permitted

Hazardous labour permitted

Insufficient Data

Type of Work Permitted at Age 14

5. The Poverty Reduction Policy Database

Minimum wage policies Unemployment benefit policies Policies that provide family benefits Policies targeting individuals with

disabilities Policies that provide income assistance to

the elderly

This initiative focuses on mechanisms aimed at lifting individuals and families out of poverty. Based on key components of ten international conventions, it consists of five sub-databases focusing on:

Building and Using WoRLD Together

We hope to work together in building and using these tools to:Hold governments accountable for their international agreements and legislative commitments

Identify which public policies matter to human and national outcomes

Develop a better understanding of the best design for these policies