Gender and Labour in the Global South (FutureLearn)

Gender and Labour in the Global South (FutureLearn)

Delve into the Global South's labour market to understand gender issues and impacts on sustainable development. Examine gender discrimination in the Global South’s labour market. Although women’s participation in the paid labour market has increased in recent decades, gender discrimination in access to decent work persists. Women, particularly in the Global South, have the lowest participation in the labour market due to a number of factors. This three-week course from the University of Basel will guide you in assessing the Global South’s labour market to understand the impact of gender inequality in labour.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Discover how gender equality in labour contributes to sustainable development
You’ll delve into the major role the labour market plays in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda from the United Nations.
With this understanding, you’ll explore the importance of decent work for sustainable development and examine how gender equality can boost the global economy.

Explore how intersectionality and gender roles impact women’s opportunities
On this course, you’ll explore how intersectionality and gender roles minimise women’s access to decent work, and examine how this labour often goes uncompensated.
You’ll hear testimonies from women workers in Laos, Nepal and Rwanda to further investigate the labour market from a gender perspective.

Study with global experts
The educators leading this course have a wealth of experience in the fields of gender and women in the labour market.
Their combined insight and expertise will provide you with the guidance to understand the impact of gender on the labour market and be empowered to advocate for decent work for all.

Syllabus

Week 1: Decent work for women and men in the Global South
Week 2: Gender gaps in (re)productive economy
Week 3: Women and men in different labour market sectors

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the importance of the concept of “gender” in promoting decent work and sustainable development.
  • Investigate the labour market from a gender perspective and at global, regional, and local levels.
  • Evaluate the concept of “productive and reproductive work”. Identify its meaning and assess how it influences the way women and men participate in the labour market.
  • Reflect on why it is important to incorporate gender considerations into labour market policies.

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for policymakers and students of development and gender studies.
It will also appeal to anyone interested in key aspects of the labour market in the Global South.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

A Guide to Diversifying and Transforming Football Leadership (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam,Fare Network

A Guide to Diversifying and Transforming Football Leadership (Coursera)

Football is a globally followed and revered sport. In recent years, concerns over diversity and discrimination in the beloved sport have made international headlines. This has put a spotlight on the lack of representation both on and off the football pitch. The disparity in football leadership representation is even more apparent when gender, race and ethnicity comes into play. This MOOC aims to understand, explore and ultimately address the exclusion of women and people of ethnic minority background (WEM) in football organizations.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
What Is Sociology? An Introduction (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The University of Newcastle, Australia

What Is Sociology? An Introduction (FutureLearn)

Examine perspectives on society, and the cultural issues facing society. Apply sociological theory to researching social groups. Discover the fascinating field of sociology. How can society be analysed? And what are some of the contemporary cultural issues in society? Get answers to these questions and more with this introduction to sociology course.

No sessions available
3 Weeks
Enabling Community-Based Leadership in Design: Sustainable Development of Historic Faith Buildings (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The Open University,UNESCO UNITWIN Complex Systems Digital Campus,The Glass-house

Enabling Community-Based Leadership in Design: Sustainable Development of Historic Faith Buildings (FutureLearn)

Mobilise the power of communities to re-imagine and shape their place. Learn how to enable communities to lead design initiatives in places of worship. Apart from being special places where people practise their faith, places of worship play an important role for the wider community by providing pastoral care and much-needed local services. Community-based design initiatives can enhance the value of these places as a sustainable resource for multiple communities.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Representaciones Culturales de las Sexualidades (Coursera) Coursera
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Representaciones Culturales de las Sexualidades (Coursera)

Desde los estudios de género, los estudios queer y los estudios culturales, este curso quiere familiarizaros con las representaciones culturales de las sexualidades no normativas en la cultura contemporánea. Planteamos diversos marcos teóricos y ejemplos prácticos a partir de los cuales reflexionar sobre las construcciones corporales e identitarias de las personas lesbianas, gays, transgénero, transexuales, queer, heterosexuales, etc. en diversos soportes culturales como el cine, la literatura, internet, la televisión o las artes plásticas.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Water for the People: Gender, Human Rights, and Diplomacy (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Colorado State University Online

Water for the People: Gender, Human Rights, and Diplomacy (FutureLearn)

Explore how access to water relates to gender and human rights with this online course. We all need water every day, yet 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. For many, obtaining water for their families is a difficult, time-consuming task, falling heavily on the shoulders of women and girls. There is widespread agreement that people have a basic human right to the water needed to sustain life, yet this right has not been realized for nearly 1 of every 7 people on earth.

No sessions available
3 Weeks
Understanding Gender Inequality (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Exeter

Understanding Gender Inequality (FutureLearn)

Gender inequality is a key challenge in society. Explore its causes and consequences and consider the ways you can overcome it. Explore gender inequality in the workplace, family, and society. Gender equality and the empowerment of women is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, and has been thrust into the spotlight with the recent #MeToo movement and HeForShe campaign.

Available Now
4 Weeks
Understanding Violence Against Women: Myths and Realities (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Strathclyde

Understanding Violence Against Women: Myths and Realities (FutureLearn)

Learn how to challenge attitudes that lead to violence against women and develop your knowledge of this human rights issue. The United Nations considers violence against women to be a grave violation of human rights of epidemic proportions. Such violence has profoundly negative consequences for individuals, communities and entire societies. This is why violence against women is a priority issue for governments and societies around the world.

Apr 18th 2022
5-12 Weeks
Corporate Sustainability. Understanding and Seizing the Strategic Opportunity (Coursera) Coursera
Università Bocconi

Corporate Sustainability. Understanding and Seizing the Strategic Opportunity (Coursera)

In this course, thought leaders in a wide variety of management and economics fields illustrate how to assess and seize the opportunities offered by these global emergencies. They will offer new ways to understand the purpose and the logic of success of the business enterprise in this new context, providing ideas and examples on how to manage the transition process to realize the value creation potential from corporate sustainability for all involved stakeholders.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
ODS y sostenibilidad: una mirada desde los colegios (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

ODS y sostenibilidad: una mirada desde los colegios (Coursera)

En este curso veremos cómo podemos generar cambios y transformaciones (a nivel individual, organizacional y social) para la sostenibilidad desde la educación formal y no-formal. Partiremos del concepto de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) como un marco potente para generar reflexiones críticas, que nos lleven a generar acciones colectivas desde la escuela en pro de la sostenibilidad.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
MINCA,Hands of Honour

Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn)

Explore the concept of upcycling, its link to sustainable development, and how you can start your own upcycling business. Understand upcycling, how to make upcycling products and start up a company. Have you ever turned unwanted objects or waste materials into entirely new products? Upcycling is the ideal way to combine creative ideas with a passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Paths to a Sustainable Future (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Paths to a Sustainable Future (Coursera)

This MOOC is an introduction to social and ecological transition. Ecological issues (climate change, loss in biodiversity, scarcity of resources, etc.) and their social consequences (growing inequalities, poverty, conflicts, forced migrations, etc.) call upon us to promote a paradigm shift, to redesign our production and consumption patterns, as well as our lifestyles. This is what transition is all about.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Sustainable Development in Humanitarian Action (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
International Committee of the Red Cross,International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,Homuork

Sustainable Development in Humanitarian Action (FutureLearn)

Discover the principles and practices of sustainable development, and how to bring them to life in humanitarian organisations. Find out how to make humanitarian action more sustainable. Incorporating sustainability into humanitarian action is key to making humanitarian organisations more effective and accountable. This course will show you how.

Mar 1st 2021
4 Weeks