How far has the empowerment of women and girls translated into tangible results on the ground and what more is needed to bridge the gaps between rhetoric and reality? This Report focuses on the economic and social dimensions of gender equality. In doing so, it aims to unravel some of the challenges and contradictions facing the world today: at a time when women and girls have almost equal opportunities when it comes to education, why are only half of women of working age in the labour force globally, and why do women still earn much less than men? In an era of unprecedented global wealth, why are large numbers of women not able to exercise their right to even basic levels of health care, water and sanitation?
The Report shows that these inequalities are not inevitable. It also shows that economic and social policies can contribute to the creation of stronger economies, and to more sustainable and more gender-equal societies, if they are designed and implemented with women’s rights at their centre.
Key findings:
- Making women’s rights real requires more than just legal reform. The translation of equality before the law into equal outcomes is not automatic. Progress towards substantive equality should be measured against how inclusive it is of the rights of poor and marginalized women and girls. It is therefore important to look beyond ‘averages’ to make sure that all women are able to enjoy their rights.
- Well-designed social policies can enhance macroeconomic growth and post-crisis recovery through redistributive measures that increase employment, productivity and aggregate demand. Macroeconomic policies can pursue a broader set of goals, including gender equality and social justice. Ultimately, the aim is to create a virtuous cycle through the generation of decent work and gender-responsive social protection and social services, alongside enabling macroeconomic policies that prioritize investment in human beings and the fulfilment of social objectives. Action is needed in the following three priority areas to transform economies and realize women’s economic and social rights: decent work for women, gender-responsive social policies and rights-based macroeconomic policies.
- Human rights emphasize the dignity and freedom of the individual, but their realization depends on solidarity and collective action. Putting in place policies for substantive equality requires collective financing, ideally through progressive taxation. The narrow targeting of social protection to the poorest households may seem to make it more affordable than building universal systems that benefit everyone. However, universal systems can expand financing options by increasing the willingness of middle and higher income groups to pay taxes for well-functioning education, health or pension systems that they also use. Collective action is crucial as well. Women who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination need to first understand and claim their rights—something that often happens when women get together to discuss their grievances and act collectively to seek solutions.
Recommendations:
The capacity of States to advance substantive equality for women differs according to their size and level of development. Human rights treaties make it clear that there are core obligations that States must realize immediately, including non-discrimination and equality in the enjoyment of rights, as well as meeting minimum essential levels of rights. States must also ensure that rights are realized progressively over time and guard against their erosion. But, within this framework, there is scope for countries to identify their own paths and policy choices, adapted to the specificities of their contexts, for achieving substantive equality for women.
