Working women world-wide: new study reveals opportunities and barriers
A new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit highlights which countries offer the most and the fewest opportunities and analyses the reasons why.
The Women’s Economic Opportunity Index is a pilot effort to assess the laws, regulations, practices, and attitudes that affect women workers and entrepreneurs.
It uses 26 indicators, selected and validated by a panel of gender experts, to evaluate every aspect of the economic and social value chain for women, from fertility to retirement.
By exploring the binding constraints that women face, it points to steps governments can take to improve opportunities for women and boost overall economic performance.
Women’s economic opportunities are influenced not just by a country’s regulatory environment but also by social attitudes and customs.
As a result, women’s participation in the formal labour force remains well below that of men. Women are also paid less than their male counterparts, and men continue to dominate in sectors with higher wage-earning potential, such as technology and finance. The study finds that even where legislation is intended to help women, implementation is often weak and opportunities remain limited.
Other stand-out results of the study include:
- Inequality in labour opportunities and outcomes can occur because a disproportionate share of unpaid work falls on women. Social protection schemes, such as the provision of maternity leave and benefits, help to mitigate this.
- Women often face greater difficulties than men in securing credit due to a lack of collateral. Women’s access to property is restricted either by law or custom in many countries, leaving them with few assets.
- Many women face greater barriers than men in setting up businesses. Women’s enterprises are often particularly small and concentrated in the retail or services sectors. This calls for training programmes in management to provide the skills needed to run a successful business.
More information about the methodology of the report and the Economist Intelligence Unit can be found at www.eiu.com.
