[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1134, 259], "category": "Text", "text": "development of digital marketing and social media, as well as the management of the security of technological risks, website design, etc. The lack of skills is only compounded by the limited development of the digital economy, due to low access to ICTs and the scarce use of solutions on digital infrastructure, where the 2021 IGG ranks the country as 93rd in the world, in terms of ICT infrastructure."}, {"bbox": [96, 270, 1134, 561], "category": "Text", "text": "On the other hand, digital platforms expanded significantly during the COVID-19, when lockdowns provided many workers with new opportunities as independent, self-employed, temporary, platform or gig workers, contractors, and freelancers. Although there is limited reliable data about the extent of work related to digital platforms, it is estimated that there are more than 8 000² individuals working through driver or delivery platforms. A proxy for the Salvadoran population working as freelancers is the total number of people (DIGESTYC, 2019)³ with temporary contracts (12.8%) who work for themselves with no office space (38.6%), which totals approximately 1.1 million individuals; an estimated 58.6% of them are men. Additionally, these workers include the more “traditional” categories of informal workers such as domestic and care workers, who make up 10% of the female economically active population. The reality is that 91 % of them receive no benefits, a salary that is 45% lower and only 4% contribute to the social security. In other words, most of them work in unstable and insecure conditions. 91.4 % of these workers are women."}, {"bbox": [96, 574, 1134, 736], "category": "Text", "text": "The common denominator for these categories of workers is that they do not have a traditional work relationship as wage workers, but rather flexible labour relations that include having many employers, fluctuating hours of work, unpredictable pay, lack of professional development opportunities, lack of sick leave, and most importantly no place in the social protection network designed with the formal dependent worker in mind. They lack access to information on their rights, on professional opportunities and on essential living skills limiting their ability to break through the cycle of poverty."}, {"bbox": [96, 746, 1134, 960], "category": "Text", "text": "The increased penetration of the digital economy in El Salvador, as in the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean, represents an opportunity for workers to take advantage of digital tools to access jobs and markets, as well as new services and protections. Independent and informal workers have the chance to take advantage of these new digital tools and services to: (i) guarantee access to coverage and basic labour rights, (ii) optimize productivity and professional development, (iii) facilitate collective organization and (iv) facilitate information on life skills. These solutions are called “WorkerTech”, defined as digital service offerings that harness the power and convenience of technology to provide independent and flexible workers with personalized benefits and greater access to protections, rights and information."}, {"bbox": [96, 970, 1056, 998], "category": "Text", "text": "This action aims in each of its components at contributing to address the following issues in El Salvador:"}, {"bbox": [135, 1012, 622, 1039], "category": "List-item", "text": "* The lack of supply of a skilled digital workforce."}, {"bbox": [135, 1041, 1134, 1094], "category": "List-item", "text": "* The lack of social and labour protection services for freelance and independent workers, including workers working in the informal sector (with a specific aim at domestic workers, in their vast majority women)."}, {"bbox": [96, 1105, 1134, 1160], "category": "Text", "text": "The action complements the government's National Digital Agenda 2020-2030, which is the government strategy to mainstream innovation and digitalization in the country."}, {"bbox": [96, 1171, 1134, 1333], "category": "Text", "text": "Two different partners will implement each component of the action: (1) Expertise France will manage the initiative supporting the development of a vocational training scheme in the digital field and promotion of “Fair programming”⁴ label; (2) the IDB will implement the “WorkerTech” component through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab (BID-Lab). IDB Lab is promoting the WorkerTech concept in Argentina, Uruguay and Guatemala, and has an extensive expertise in piloting the use of technology and innovation for entrepreneurship and social equity through the LAC region."}, {"bbox": [96, 1344, 1134, 1478], "category": "Text", "text": "The main partner in both components of the action will be the Salvadoran Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CASATIC), a non-profit business association that brings together private sector actors in the technology and innovation sector. CASATIC is the largest private organisation promoting technology and innovation in the private sector in El Salvador, and has signed a cooperation agreement for the period 2020-2025 with the government's Innovation Secretariat, which will itself be a partner of the Action."}, {"bbox": [85, 1549, 782, 1573], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² IDB Lab in-house estimate based on information published in secondary sources."}, {"bbox": [85, 1573, 702, 1597], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ Multipurpose Household Survey (EHPM), 2019. MINEC/DIGESTYC."}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 1143, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ “Fair Programming” is an initiative that promotes a fair relationship between actors in the digital economy and new technologies."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1680, 1143, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 6 of 27"}]