'This issue of the Global Employment Trends for Women looks at the gender aspects of the impact of the financial crisis and slowdown in world economic growth on jobs and what we could expect from several possible scenarios for the way the situation might evolve in the year ahead, and updates indicators on the situation of women in labour markets around the world. .This report reconfirms that gender inequality remains an issue within labour markets globally. Women suffer multiple disadvantages in terms of access to labour markets, and often do not have the same level of freedom as men to choose to work. Gender differences in labour force participation rates and unemployment rates are a persistent feature of global labour markets.'
Gender equality at the heart of decent work
Gender equality at the heart of decent work
'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.'