The gender gap in global labour markets showed signs of convergence in the earlier part of the last decade but increased again after the financial crisis erupted in 2007. This picture varies considerably, however, around the globe. ILO’s Global Employment Trends for Women 2012 report highlighted gender gaps in unemployment, employment, labour force participation and vulnerability as well as segregation in different jobs and economic sectors. According to the Report produced in collaboration with UN Women, women face higher unemployment rates than men globally, with no improvements likely in the near future.
Developed vs developing
The ILO reported that in developed 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.
Women push performance
Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director, UN Women said, “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,” She added, “Guaranteeing equal opportunities for women and men is not just the right thing to do. It’s smart economics.”
Key findings
- From 2002 to 2007, the female unemployment rate was 5.8%, compared with 5.3% for males. The crisis raised this gap from 0.5 to 0.7%, and destroyed 13 million jobs for women.
- The gender gap in employment-to-population ratios inched down before the crisis, but remained high at 24.5%. The reduction was particularly strong in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle-East and in advanced economies.
- The gap in labour force participation converged in the 1990s, but showed little or no convergence in the last decade. Both men’s and women’s participation rates fell equally in the last decade, mainly because of education, ageing and the ‘discouraged worker’ effect.
- In 2012, the share of women in vulnerable employment—contributing family workers plus own account workers—was 50% and that of men was 48%, but there were much larger gaps in North Africa at 24% and in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa at 15%.
- The sectoral segregation measure shows that women are more limited in their choice of employment across sectors. Sectoral segregation increased over time with women moving out of agriculture in developing economies and out of industry and into services in developed economies.
- In advanced economies, women’s employment in industry halved, crowding 85% of them into services, primarily in education and health.
- The occupational segregation measure shows that women continue to be segregated into particular types of occupations. There is some evidence of a decline in the gap in the 1990s and a stalling of this convergence in the last decade.
Tackling the issue
José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive-Director for Employment, ILO explained, “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.”
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.
Guidelines to reduce gender bias in work decisions and gender gaps in the labour market
- Provision of care services, particularly childcare facilities.
- Balancing the gender division of paid and unpaid work.
- Changing the costs and benefits of gender specialisation—ensuring that taxes and transfers do not create disincentives for dual earner families.
- Compensating for unequal employment opportunities based on gender, such as measures to eliminate the adverse impact of career breaks, through well-paid leave and right of return to post.
- Public campaigns to challenge gender stereotypes and to ensure the proper implementation of legislation against discrimination.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
