Gender Inequality
Gender inequality – differences between men and women in their opportunities for education, health, income, employment and political and social empowerment – has been a persistent feature of human societies throughout most of history. Although levels of gender inequality have varied by country, there are some common patterns. These include greater inequality for women than for men in education, labour force participation and wages, as well as in household decision-making and wealth ownership.
While important progress has been made in reducing gender gaps, significant barriers remain. These include the unequal division of care work, sexual violence and exploitation, discrimination in public office, as well as gaps in access to education, medical services, jobs and wages. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these gaps, with women bearing the brunt of increased care work and a decrease in economic productivity (Albanesi and Kim, 2021; Kossov et al., 2021).
The scope of the gaps varies by country, but all countries need to address them in order to achieve full equality. To do so will require leadership, investments and comprehensive policy reforms.
1. Achieving global equality will require further efforts to empower and mobilize women.
The world has made significant strides in reducing gender inequality, but the goal of global equality remains a long way off. It will take an estimated 131 years at current rates of progress for women to be represented equally in national parliaments and in positions of power, and 200 years to end child marriage and eliminate gaps in legal protections against domestic violence (Equality Now, 2024).
2. The benefits of further reductions in gender inequality are likely substantial.
A growing body of literature suggests that addressing gender inequality could generate substantial economic benefits for households, firms and society as a whole. Among other things, it can improve household decision making and enhance firm/institution performance, increase labour supply, lower financial risk and reduce macroeconomic instability and poverty (Kochhar and others, 2017; Sahay and Cihak, 2020).
3. Gender gaps continue to persist despite the gains made.
Almost all countries still have gaps in terms of the relative contributions of men and women to market-based activities and non-market-based activity. This is mainly because of the unequal distribution of household tasks and of labour-saving technology.
4. Further research is needed to develop and implement measures to better understand the causes of gender gaps.
There is a need to improve data collection and analysis in this area, including on time-use, as well as for better understanding the interplay between the various factors that drive gender gaps, such as labour-saving technologies, household characteristics and cultural beliefs (Albanesi and Kim, 2021; Sahay and Cihak, 2020).
5. Gender inequality is rooted in complex systems.
Reducing gender inequality requires that the root causes of such gaps be addressed, including societal and cultural norms and beliefs, family structures and social conventions. This includes addressing the underlying economic inequalities, such as those between rich and poor, which can fuel gender inequalities by rewarding some forms of labour over others (Chowdhury and Goldberg, 2002). The goal is to foster more equitable relations across all spheres of life – home, school, workplace and broader society.