KAMPALA, August 26, 2026 — The International Cooperative Alliance-Africa [ICA-Africa] and its cooperative members in Ethiopia will convene a regional conference in Addis Ababa in October to examine how worker cooperatives and the care economy can expand access to decent work for women, youth and other vulnerable groups across Africa.
The two-day conference, scheduled for October 27-28, 2026, will be held under the theme “Decent Work for All: Worker Cooperatives and the Care Economy: Advancing Inclusion in Africa.”
Organisers say the conference comes at a time when Africa is experiencing rapid growth in its working-age population, while large numbers of workers, particularly women and young people, remain in the informal economy.
“Large numbers of workers—particularly women and young people—remain in the informal economy, where they often face precarious employment, limited social protection and few opportunities for advancement,” the organisers said.
The conference will focus on how worker cooperatives and the formalisation of the care economy can provide inclusive and scalable pathways to decent employment.
It will also examine the experiences of vulnerable groups, including refugees, internally displaced persons and people living with disabilities, who face additional barriers to secure employment and economic opportunities.
According to the organisers, the discussions will be linked to Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, SDG 5 on gender equality and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The organisers said the conference will explore how cooperative models and the care economy can contribute to more inclusive employment opportunities across the continent.
“The conference will focus on how worker cooperatives and the formalisation of the care economy can provide inclusive and scalable pathways to decent employment,” they said.
Researchers, academics, cooperative practitioners and other stakeholders have been invited to submit papers addressing the conference theme. Priority will be given to policy- and solution-oriented research covering worker cooperatives, the care economy, marginalised groups, gender equality and youth employment.
The conference is also expected to bring together government officials, cooperative leaders, care-economy stakeholders and development partners to discuss practical approaches for expanding decent work opportunities across Africa.
The organisers said selected papers should go beyond identifying challenges and provide practical solutions.
“Selected papers are expected to provide actionable strategies and innovative recommendations at institutional, national and continental levels,” the organisers said.
The deadline for submission of abstracts is August 31, 2026, while full papers must be submitted by September 20. Authors whose papers are accepted will be notified by September 30, with presenter registration closing on October 13.
Submitted papers will undergo a blind peer-review process by the co-organising institutions and will also be subjected to plagiarism checks before acceptance.
The organisers said papers should include a title, author and institutional affiliation, contact details of the corresponding author, background and problem statement, objectives, conceptual or theoretical framework, methodology, findings, conclusions and recommendations.
Presenting authors will be exempted from conference fees, but participants will be responsible for their own registration, travel, accommodation and daily subsistence expenses.
Where a paper has several authors, only one author is expected to attend and present on behalf of the team.
The conference scientific committee is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and has provided email contacts for prospective authors seeking further information or submitting abstracts and papers.
The conference is expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to promote decent work, gender equality and inclusive economic participation through cooperative enterprise and the formalisation of care-related work across Africa.
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