Data for Dignity – Why Statistics Matter in the Informal Economy

Posted on October 20th, 2024

Data has the power to tell stories that would otherwise go unheard. For displaced persons working in the informal economy, accurate and accessible data are more than numbers—they are tools for recognition, protection, and empowerment. These workers play critical roles in communities, from street vendors and domestic workers to construction laborers and small-scale artisans. Yet, without reliable data, their contributions remain invisible, and their needs are frequently overlooked.

The Challenge

Displaced workers often operate outside formal systems. Many lack contracts, social security, or official employment records, meaning traditional labor surveys and economic indicators fail to capture their work. This invisibility has tangible consequences:

• Policy Gaps: Governments cannot design targeted social protection programs, leaving displaced workers without healthcare, unemployment benefits, or legal labor protections.
• Limited Advocacy: NGOs and community organizations struggle to make compelling cases to donors and policymakers without hard evidence of the scale and impact of informal work.
• Economic Underestimation: The contributions of displaced workers to local economies—supporting supply chains, creating small businesses, and providing essential services—remain unrecognized.

WIHD’s Research and Statistics Program tackles these challenges through collaboration, rigor, and accessibility:

1. Collaboration with Community-Based Organizations

We partner with local health clinics, NGOs, and community-based organizations (CBOs) that already have established trust with displaced populations. These partnerships allow us to collect reliable data on informal laborers and their living conditions in ways that are safe, culturally sensitive, and inclusive.

For example, WIHD works with neighborhood health clinics in Yaoundé to document the working conditions of displaced domestic workers who often lacked access to health services. By combining clinic records with community surveys, we are able produced actionable insights that help in the design of our targeted wellness programs, occupational health workshops, and social support initiatives for informal workers.

2. Accessible Data

Data is only valuable if it can be applied. WIHD prioritizes presenting findings in digestible formats—dashboards, infographics, and community maps—so local governments, NGOs, and CBOs can make informed decisions. A community health-based mapping of informal workers, for example, would enable clinics to organize mobile health check-ups and vaccination campaigns for displaced populations efficiently.

3. Promotion of Research

By supporting research studies, WIHD ensures evidence informs interventions. Analyses of income disparities, labor exploitation, and access to healthcare help policymakers and advocacy groups design better programs. One study, for example, highlighted how informal waste collectors, many displaced, play a crucial role in urban recycling yet lack occupational protections, prompting local initiatives to integrate them into municipal waste management systems.

4. Awareness and Advocacy

Statistics amplify displaced workers’ voices. Evidence of scale, impact, and unmet needs strengthens advocacy for inclusive labor policies, social protections, and healthcare access. Data has guided reforms like formalizing minimum wage protections for domestic workers and improving health outreach for informal labor sectors where displaced populations are concentrated.

WIHD’s work ensures that displaced informal workers are recognized as essential contributors to both local economies and society. These numbers represent people striving to survive, contribute, and live dignified lives under challenging conditions. Accurate, accessible data empowers governments, NGOs, and communities to design programs that respect rights, meet needs, and celebrate contributions.

By making the invisible visible, data become more than numbers—they become tools for dignity, justice, and inclusion.