Research & thought leadership
A key player and think-tank for labour and employment matters in Botswana and the region.
The ILES Research Department conducts research on labour and employment matters with the aim of improving the world of work and contributing to Botswana's policy formulation. The Department continues to strengthen its mandate of carrying out research and consultancy, positioning the institute as a key player and think-tank for labour and employment matters in the country.
Relations with development and social partners continue to be strengthened, and new partnerships developed. Alongside existing partners such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), significant partnerships have been established with organisations such as StreetNet International — a global organisation of informal traders that promotes an autonomous and democratic alliance of street vendors, hawkers and cross-border traders in over 50 countries.
Focus areas
Drawing on its experience and capabilities in labour and employment matters, ILES annually hosts a labour conference in Botswana after identifying gaps in the region for stakeholder engagement. The conference convenes a network of more than 300 local and international participants — speakers, moderators, panellists and other distinguished guests — to engage on labour and employment trends and conditions that inform policy, guided by a theme and thematic areas.
ILES tracks the key provisions of international labour standards relevant to Botswana. Botswana has ratified 15 ILO Conventions, all of which are in force; none have been denounced. These include the eight fundamental Conventions (C029, C087, C098, C100, C105, C111, C138 and C182), the governance Convention C144, and technical Conventions including C014, C019, C095, C151, C173 and C176.
ILES produces timely reports covering developments and dynamics of labour markets — their extent and consequences for economies. Particular attention is paid to domestic, regional and global patterns and their impact on productivity, job quality, job opportunities, job creation and the social protection of citizens.
ILES values partnerships and collaborative research that emphasise multi-disciplinary labour and employment study. We welcome collaboration across strategic priorities including sustainable job creation, inclusive social protection systems, decent work, worker productivity, a just transition towards environmental sustainability, inclusive socio-economic growth, renewable and sustainable energy, occupational health and safety, integrated employment-policy frameworks, sustainable investment strategies, safe mental-health workplaces, indigenous knowledge and innovation, HIV and AIDS, an inclusive world of work irrespective of gender, disability, sexuality and age, culture, arts and society, economic diversification and entrepreneurship, and environmental systems and natural-resource management.
Through research, ILES provides the labour and employment tripartite with the research support and tools needed by developing research projects and deploying the analytical capacity to generate insights for engaging the complex labour and employment issues, both locally and internationally.
These entail high-level engagements such as workshops and labour breakfast seminars, as well as the publishing of labour journals and magazines sponsored by stakeholders.
ILES publishes labour journals, newsletters and magazines that document research and engagement on labour and employment matters in Botswana and the region. Recent publications include a newsletter paper on the law on sexual harassment in Botswana.
ILES welcomes partnerships and collaborative research across labour and employment priorities.
