Women and Gender Issues

For women and girls urbanization is often associated with greater access to education and employment opportunities lower fertility rates and increased independence. Yet women are often denied the same benefits and opportunities that cities offer to men. Moreover women are frequently excluded from efforts to create more equitable and sustainable cities. Women living in urban slums particularly endure multiple hardships with basic needs such as durable housing and access to clean water and improved sanitation facilities often going unmet. This analysis based on data from 59 low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean Central and Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa finds that women and their families bear the brunt of growing income inequality and failures to adequately plan for and respond to rapid urbanization.

This background paper uses a comparative perspective to evaluate the interplay between trade and gender in the context of regional integration efforts in Africa and Latin America using the case studies of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) respectively.

This paper is being released in the midst of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. In addition to being a health crisis unlike any other in recent history the pandemic is an economic and social crisis. Families—and women within them—are juggling an increase in unpaid care work as well as losses in income and paid work. Lone mothers in particular are acutely vulnerable unable to share the care burden and more likely to work for low pay and in vulnerable occupations. The restrictions put in place to combat COVID-19 also leave women and their families in precarious positions. Understanding the extent to which women’s participation in the labour market is linked to family structures is even more crucial in these uncertain times. This publication drawing on a global dataset and new indicators developed by UN Women and the International Labour Organization shows that women’s employment is shaped by domestic and caregiving responsibilities in ways that men’s is not. The data collected pre-COVID-19 provide insights into the distribution of domestic and caregiving responsibilities within various types of households—insights that are critical at this juncture when policies and programmes are being designed to respond to the pandemic’s economic fallout.

This working paper provides a concise narrative behind the graphic representation of the Gender-Responsive Age-Sensitive Social Protection (GRASSP) conceptual framework. The framework delineates the conceptual linkages between gender (including gender risks vulnerabilities discrimination and inequalities multidimensional deprivations affecting women and girls) and social protection. It proposes a systematic holistic and integrated approach for conceptualising the intersections between gender and social protection to achieve SDG1 (‘end poverty in all its forms everywhere’) and SDG5 (‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’) through careful planning design implementation and evaluation of a gender-responsive social protection system. The GRASSP conceptual framework builds on and expands existing conceptual and theoretical efforts focused on integrating a gender lens into public policy (see for instance Holmes and Jones 2013 GAGE Consortium 2017). Building on these earlier efforts the GRASSP conceptual framework brings together several integrated aspects related to gender social protection and the life course.

The digital revolution brings immense potential to improve social and economic outcomes for women. Yet it also poses the risk of perpetuating existing patterns of gender inequality. This report begins by outlining a conceptual framework for understanding the mutual shaping relationship between gender and technology. It then focuses on three areas to identify opportunities and risks in the digital revolution: education work and social/welfare services.

The Survey 2018-2019 observes that the Arab region experienced an economic recovery with a growth rate of 2.3% in 2018 up from 1.7% the year before. This recovery was largely attributed to hydrocarbon sector-led growth in the region’s oil-exporting countries particularly GCC countries. This growth momentum will continue at a modest pace of 2.6% in 2019 and further increase to 3.4% for 2020. Notwithstanding such positive prospect the region remains linked to geopolitical uncertainties which are further exacerbated by a number of ongoing intraregional diplomatic rifts and armed conflict. Meanwhile the Survey 2018-2019 claims that the main challenge facing nowadays the region is its delicate fiscal situation as several Arab countries have already established new energy subsidy systems aimed at maintaining affordable energy prices against oil price fluctuation. Employing CGE models the Survey 2018-2019 demonstrates that reducing energy subsidy generates a fiscal space for governments. If the ‘saved’ amounts are totally directed to the reduction of fiscal deficit fiscal sustainability could be enhanced but economic growth and job creation will be negatively affected. Such simulation result allows policymakers to assess the reform options that promote an inclusive and sustainable development.

Global economic growth continued at a moderate albeit slightly decelerated pace of 3.0 per cent in 2018 (figure 1.1A). This growth trajectory was largely attributed to the effect of the accelerated trade disputes between the United States and China. In addition the market sentiment for investment deteriorated amid weakened international trade activities and declining business confidence which started to worsen during the second half of 2018. Domestic macroeconomic policy challenges closely linked to high volatility of oil prices and escalated financial stress further complicated the global economy landscape.

Many developing countries have based their development model on the cheap energy paradigm. One of the most important tools for governing was the establishment of an energy subsidy system that maintained energy prices at an affordable price for households and firms even in the face of international oil price fluctuations. This system has been internalized by production businesses and many firms have developed their business plans on the basis of affordable energy. In many countries this system succeeded in maintaining access to energy for the poor created jobs protected nascent industries and secured energy. At the same time these energy subsidy systems put substantial pressure on the fiscal balance and balance of payments. The International Energy Agency estimated that global fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $260 billion compared to $140 billion for renewable energy subsidies.

The trajectory of world economic growth in 2018 was largely shaped by the effect of the intensifying trade dispute between the United States and China. The growth of global gross domestic product (GDP) slowed slightly by 0.1 percentage points to 3.0 per cent in 2018. International trade activity weakened and financial conditions tightened under the United States Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates. As a result business confidence and investment deteriorated over the course of the year. These circumstances combined with persistent geopolitical tension across the regions and the uncertainty of international policy are expected to restrain global economic growth at 2.7 per cent in 2019.

The report was prepared under the overall direction and guidance of Moctar Mohamed El Hacene Director of the Economic Development and Integration Division (EDID) at the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Mohamed Hedi Bchir Chief of the Modelling and Forecasting Section at EDID led a core team which included Ahmed Moummi Seung-Jin Baek and Nathalie Khaled. Research assistance and administrative support were provided by Arpy Atamian Maroun Laoun Abdullah Al Hamdi Hyunjin An and Sunkoo Lee.