WUNRN
Women
face higher unemployment rates than men globally, with no improvements likely
in the coming years, according to an ILO report.
LABOUR MARKET GENDER GAP - ILO
The
gender gap in global labour markets showed some convergence in the earlier part
of the last decade but increased after the crisis erupted in 2007, according to
an ILO report produced in collaboration with UN Women. The picture varies
considerably among regions.
Direct Link to Full 71-Page Report -
Global Employment Trends for Women 2012:
11 December 2012 - GENEVA (ILO News) – Women face
higher unemployment rates than men globally, with no improvements likely in the
coming years, according to an ILO report.
The ILO’s Global
Employment Trends for Women 2012 looks at the gender gap in
unemployment, employment, labour force participation, vulnerability, and
segregation in jobs and economic sectors.
Globally, the gap in unemployment and employment-to-population ratios was
moving towards convergence before the crisis. The crisis reversed this trend in
the hardest-hit regions.
Guaranteeing
equal opportunities for women and men is not just the right thing to do. It’s
smart economics.” |
In the advanced countries, the crisis seems to have affected
men in trade- dependent sectors more than women in health and education. In
developing countries, women were strongly hit in trade-related sectors.
“While women worldwide contribute to the economy and its productivity, they
continue to face many barriers that prevent them from realising their full
economic potential. This is not only holding back women; it is holding back
economic performance and growth,” said Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of
UN Women, which contributed to the report. ”Guaranteeing equal opportunities
for women and men is not just the right thing to do. It’s smart economics,” she
added.
Other key findings are:
“Policies to reduce gender gaps can significantly improve economic growth and
standards of living, and in developing countries can be a major contribution to
poverty reduction” said José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, ILO Executive-Director
for Employment.
The report calls for the expansion of social protection measures to reduce
women’s vulnerabilities, investments in skills and education, and policies to
promote access to employment.
The report lists a number of policy guidelines to help households reduce gender
bias in their work decisions and gender gaps in the labour market: