Resource guide on gender equality in the world of work

The primary goal of the ILO is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Thus, ILO considers gender equality as a key element in its vision of decent work for social and institutional change to bring about equity and growth. The main focus or thematic areas of the ILO on gender equality coincide with the organization's four strategic goals, which are to: promote fundamental principles and rights at work; create greater employment and income opportunities for women and men; enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection; and strengthen social dialogue and tripartism.

On this page: Find information on gender equality in the world of work through Labordoc • International Labour Standards • Statistics • In the media • Gender resources by region • More external links • Key ILO documents • ILO databases • ILO links • Photos • Slideshows • Videos

Find information on gender equality in the world of work through Labordoc

• ILO publications on gender equality
• All publications on gender equality available in Labordoc

By theme

By region

International Labour Standards

Conventions

• C100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
• C102 Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952
• C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958
• C118 Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962
• C156 Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981
• C161 Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985
• C183 Maternity Protection Convention, 2000

Recommendations

• R4 Lead Poisoning (Women and Children) Recommendation, 1919
• R13 Night Work of Women (Agriculture) Recommendation, 1921
• P89 Protocol of 1990 to the Night Work (Women) Convention (Revised), 1948
• R90 Equal Remuneration Recommendation, 1951
• R102 Welfare Facilities Recommendation, 1956
• R111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Recommendation, 1958
• R116 Reduction of Hours of Work Recommendation, 1962
• R165 Workers with Family Responsibilities Recommendation, 1981
• R191 Maternity Protection Recommendation, 2000

International labour standards can be found in the NORMLEX database.

Statistics

• ILO (TRAVAIL): Conditions of work and employment laws (including maternity protection)
• ILO (EMP/ELM): Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM)
• ILO: LABORSTA, the ILO database on labour statistics
• ILO: Global employment trends for women: December 2012 (pdf 1.43 MB)
• ILO: Global employment trends for women: March 2009 (pdf 636 KB)


• UN Millennium Development Goal Indicators: Country level data
• UN Statistics Division: Demographic and social statistics
• UN Statistics Division: Population and housing censuses
• UNDP: International Human Development Indicators
• UNECE: Gender statistics
• World Bank: eAtlas of gender
• World Bank: The Little Data Book on Gender 2011
• World Bank: GenderStats


• European Commission: Eurostat
• Inter-Parliamentary Union: Women in National Parliaments
• OECD: Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID-DB)

In the media

News and articles

• UN Women and ILO join forces to promote women’s empowerment in the workplace, 13 June 2011
• Michelle Bachelet at the ILO Conference: the elimination of gender discrimination is a matter of “smart economics”, 10 June 2011
• Combating pay discrimination: the example of Jordan, 18 May 2011

World of Work, the magazine of the ILO

• Indigenous women entrepreneurs in Papua GET Ahead (World of Work n° 71, April 2011)
• Gender equality at the heart of decent work (pdf 2.14 MB) (World of Work n° 65, April 2009)

Gender resources by region

Africa

• African Development Bank Group (AfDB): gender
• African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)
• UN Women: Africa
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA): gender and social development

Americas

• ILO CINTERFOR: Género, formación y trabajo (in Spanish)
• ILO Subregional Office for Central America, Haiti, Panama and Dominican Republic (in Spanish)
• OIT: Programa Regional de Género y Trabajo Decente (in Spanish)
• UN Women: Americas and the Caribbean
• Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (Naciones Unidas): división de asuntos de género (in Spanish)

Arab States

• ILO Regional Office for the Arab States: equality and non-discrimination
• UN Women: Arab states
• UN Women Field Offices in Arab States
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA): Centre for Women

Asia and Pacific

• Asian Development Bank: gender and development
• ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: equality and discrimination
• International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific
• UN Women: Asia and the Pacific
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP): gender equality and empowerment section

Europe

• ILO DWT and Country Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: gender
• ILO Subregional Office Budapest: gender equality at work
• Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies
• UN Women: Europe and Central Asia
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE): gender

More external links