GENEVA - A first look at working women gave pause for thought. The report examined the 1.1 billion women who made up 40 per cent of the world's 2.8 billion workers in 2003, and found that though more are working, this explosive growth hasn't been accompanied by true socioeconomic empowerment, nor has it led to equal pay for work of equal value, nor balanced benefits which would make women equal to men across nearly all occupations. "In short, true equality in the world of work is still out of reach," the report adds.
Since 1993, the gap between the number of men and women at work has been decreasing. But the world picture varies widely. In the transition economies and East Asia, the number of women working per 100 men is 91 and 83, respectively. Yet in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, only 40 women per 100 men are economically active, the report says.
The worldwide unemployment rate for women is only slightly higher than that for men - 6.4 per cent compared to 6.1 per cent. But this still leaves a total of 77.8 million women unemployed. And for countries in the Middle East and North Africa, female unemployment reaches 16.5 per cent - 6 percentage points higher than that of men. For young women aged 15 to 24 years, the problem is particularly acute - 35.8 million are unemployed worldwide.
Many women in the developing world, however, simply cannot afford not to work, and take whatever opportunities are available. Stuck in the informal sector with little, if any, social protection, the challenge for them is gaining decent and productive employment, the report says. What's more, of the 550 million "working poor" in the world - living on less than US$1 per day - 60 per cent are women.
On top of this, women typically earn less than men. In the six occupations studied, women still earn less than what their male co-workers earn, even in "typically female" occupations, such as nursing and teaching.
The situation may appear bleak, but solutions can be found. "To create enough decent jobs for women, policymakers must place employment at the centre of social and economic polices," says ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "We must recognize that women face more substantial challenges in the workplace than men. Raising incomes and opportunities for women lifts whole families out of poverty and drives economic and social progress."
Note 1: To read the report, please visit www.ilo.org/trends.