Sabina Dewan

India’s young population has big aspirations, but limited good jobs, skills gaps and informal employment threaten its demographic dividend. Sabina Dewan examines what Indian youth want—and what reality offers.

As digital platforms reshape work across Asia and the Pacific, new opportunities for income and flexibility are emerging — but not equally for all workers. Rising task-based work raises urgent questions about governance and the extension of labour and social protections. This report examines emerging regulatory approaches and pathways to decent work in an increasingly digital world, and comes at a critical moment as the ILO prepares a new Convention and Recommendation on platform work to be discussed at the International Labour Conference in June 2026.

This report identifies gaps in the education-to-employment pipeline for youth. Drawing on stakeholder insights across sectors and practical experience from the ground on what works, it highlights key misalignments and offers actionable recommendations to strengthen these transitions.

In her essay "Re-Centring Employment in Growth Strategies in the Global South" for Observer Research Foundation, Sabina Dewan outlines a five-point agenda to revive employment, reinforce labour market institutions, and tackle widening inequality.

At the AICESIS panel in Curaçao, Sabina Dewan highlighted how AI is accelerating inequalities and emphasised that without human-centric regulation, social protection, and renewed social dialogue, AI’s disruptions risk undermining workers and economies—particularly in the Global South.

HSBC's Quality of Life report reveals a shift among Gen Z from traditional wealth accumulation to seeking balance, fulfilment, and purpose, with "multi retirements" emerging as a trend. But Sabina Dewan highlights this perspective reflects the privileged few. In India and other developing countries, most young people continue to struggle with low earnings and lack of social security and even well-paying jobs can feel isolating and purposeless.

JJN's Sabina Dewan writes on how technological advancement, trade shocks, climate change, and the energy transition are transforming how we live and work, faster than the ability of our education and skill systems to keep pace. She says urgent, comprehensive reforms — from effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) to stronger industry partnerships — are necessary to improve our education and skills systems.

Artificial intelligence is an unstoppable force that is reshaping local communities, national economies, labour markets, and international relations. In this issue paper, the authors provide specific policy recommendations aimed at promoting inclusive adoption of AI technologies.

The report proposes actionable solutions to structural barriers hindering women’s equitable participation in emerging digital economies across the Global South, where women are underrepresented in ICT and STEM.

JJN’s Sabina Dewan writes on the urgent need to bridge the gap between growth and quality of jobs for the Indian working-age population. Labour market in India is failing to generate enough high-quality jobs for its large and growing population; at the same time employers struggle to find workers with the right skills for the job openings they have. Highlighting the growing extent of precarity in the nature of available work in the country, she makes the case for adopting a ground-up approach for job creation.