SGG 10: Decent Work for Social Empowerment
A core pillar of the Agenda for Social Equity 2074, establishing a universal reference standard for decent, inclusive, and empowering work as a foundation of social equity and human dignity.
Goal Statement and Definition
Goal Statement
Ensure access to decent, safe, and fairly remunerated work that enables individuals to sustain dignified lives, develop skills and agency, and participate meaningfully in social, economic, and civic life.
Definition
For the purposes of Agenda 2074, decent work for social empowerment refers to work that is freely chosen, fairly compensated, safe, and respectful of human rights, and that provides opportunities for learning, progression, and participation. Decent work encompasses formal and cooperative employment, self‑employment, entrepreneurship, and emerging forms of work, provided that conditions uphold dignity, security, inclusion, and social value. Empowerment through work requires protection against exploitation, precarity, and exclusion across the life course.
Strategic Rationale
Work remains the primary means through which individuals secure material security, social recognition, and personal agency. Where work is unsafe, underpaid, unstable, or inaccessible, societies experience persistent poverty, exclusion, and erosion of trust. Labor markets that tolerate exploitation or structural exclusion reproduce inequality and weaken democratic and economic foundations.
Agenda for Social Equity 2074 therefore treats decent work as a structural social enabler, not merely an economic output. Work must empower individuals rather than trap them in precarity. This requires inclusive labor systems, fair standards, skill development pathways, and protections that adapt to technological change, demographic transitions, and new forms of employment. Progress under this goal strengthens social cohesion, productivity, and resilience across generations.
Targets
In order to realise this goal, institutions across the public, private, cooperative, and civil‑society spheres should, as a minimum:
- Ensure access to safe, fair, and dignified working conditions across all sectors and forms of work.
- Prevent exploitation, forced labor, discrimination, and abusive practices through enforceable standards and oversight.
- Promote inclusive access to employment, entrepreneurship, and cooperative work, particularly for youth, women, and marginalized groups.
- Enable skills development, reskilling, and lifelong learning pathways connected to meaningful work opportunities.
- Ensure worker voice, representation, and accessible grievance mechanisms in workplaces and labor systems.
Targets are adaptable to diverse economic models and labor relations systems, provided that dignity, fairness, and empowerment remain central.
Indicative Indicators
Progress under SGG 10 may be illustrated through proportionate, non‑financial indicators, including but not limited to:
- Compliance with occupational safety, labor rights, and fair remuneration standards.
- Access to training, reskilling, and progression pathways linked to work opportunities.
- Representation and participation mechanisms for workers in workplace governance.
- Incidence and resolution of labor‑related grievances and disputes.
- Stability and predictability of work arrangements across different forms of employment.
Indicators emphasize quality of work, protection, and empowerment rather than employment volume alone.
Alignment with Global and Regional Frameworks
Social Global Goal 10 reinforces the labor and employment commitments of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), while strengthening linkages to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 1 (No Poverty), by positioning work as a central vector of social equity.
The goal aligns strongly with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, notably Aspiration 1 (A Prosperous Africa Based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development) and Aspiration 6 (An Africa Whose Development Is People‑Driven), by emphasizing productive employment, skills development, and dignified livelihoods as foundations of inclusive growth.
In European contexts, SGG 10 complements the European Green Deal by addressing the social dimensions of the climate and digital transition. It reinforces the necessity of decent work, worker protection, and reskilling in ensuring that structural economic transformation generates empowerment rather than displacement or precarity.
Position within Agenda 2074
