'This report has three aims: reviewing the ILO’s progress in assisting constituents to achieve gender equality in the world of work: highlighting its current efforts to implement International Labour Conference (ILC) resolutions and Governing Body decisions on promoting gender equality and mainstreaming it in the Decent Work Agenda: and providing background for constituents to chart a strategic course for future work. The context of the current financial and economic crisis has made the analysis of successful initiatives especially relevant. The crisis will impact heavily on both women’s and men’s efforts to find and keep decent work, and the progress made by ILO constituents around the world is threatened. Recovery packages that are designed too hurriedly and without sufficient social dialogue may inadvertently exacerbate existing sex discrimination in the labour market. .The report makes the case for scaling up measures to eliminate sex discrimination in the world of work and highlights ILO interventions in all regions. The ILO approach is grounded in the rights-based argument and the economic efficiency rationale: not only is gender equality in the world of work a matter of human rights and justice for workers, it also makes good business sense for employers and is instrumental in achieving economic growth and poverty reduction at national levels.'
'2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the agreement signed by 189 countries that attended the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. Over the last two decades, Africa has made significant strides in developing progressive frameworks to advance the rights of women.This report is structured around four main sections: the first section offers an overview of the evolution of the socio-economic and political terrain within which women’s rights work has occurred. The second substantive sections summarises the key findings from the 51 state reports and the trends noted across all 51 state reports that were submitted to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The third substantive section looks at the 12 critical areas, assessing gaps in state reporting and highlighting illustrative examples where innovation and/or where progress has occurred in specific states. These illustrations are not designed to highlight what all 51 reporting states have done in the 12 areas. The final section concludes with a set of recommendations.'
This report presents statistics and analysis on the status of women and men in the world, highlighting the current situation and changes over time. Analyses are based mainly on statistics from international and national statistical agencies. The report covers several broad policy areas – population and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment and poverty.