Tackling gender inequality in Asian Labour Markets:

Discard discrimination against women - ILO, ADB

Asian countries have a window of opportunity to tackle gender inequality in their labour markets and support sustainable crisis recovery, according to a new report prepared jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The report, Women and Labour Markets in Asia: Rebalancing for Gender Equality, says that although Asia is helping to lead the global economy, recovery of the labour market from the recent global economic and financial crisis has not kept pace. In some developing countries, particularly in East Asia, job growth is back, but the quality of jobs being created is a major concern. In particular, 45 percent of the vast productive potential of Asian women remains untapped, compared to just 19 percent for Asian men.

Even before the crisis, Asia was estimated to be losing US$42-$47 billion a year because of limits on women's access to employment opportunities and another US$16-$30 billion a year as a result of gender gaps in education, according to estimates by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Although the region's economic growth of 6.2 percent in 2000-2007 greatly exceeded the global average of 4.2 percent, average growth in women's employment was just 1.7 percent - below the world average of 2 percent.

These deficits are likely to have increased during the crisis, the report says, because women disproportionately shouldered the impact due to pre-existing gender inequalities. They include discrimination throughout the region's labour markets, inequality rooted in social-cultural norms and national policy and institutional frameworks that shape the employment opportunities of Asia's 734 million female workers.

The report says that 'there is now a window of opportunity to address systematic gender inequalities as well as the symptoms thrown up by the crisis, and achieve full labour market recovery and successful rebalancing'. It adds that 'the policy goal should not be to return to the 'normal'pre-crisis situation'but to rebalance towards a new development trajectory that is job-rich, just, sustainable and inclusive'.

"Asia faces both old and new challenges and it needs to address both if it is to reap the social and economic benefits of gender equality,"said ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Sachiko Yamamoto.

"The drive to rebalance towards more sustainable, fairer development must not distract policy-makers from dealing with ingrained gender inequalities. One cannot succeed without the other and the social and economic costs of missing this opportunity will be felt for decades. The ILO stands ready to help with this, an important step towards the goal of decent work for all."

The report points out that poor quality jobs are a greater labour market challenge for women than unemployment. A large proportion of women in Asia toils in low-productivity, vulnerable and low-paid informal work. In addition, female youth unemployment is high and women remain largely perceived as a buffer workforce or secondary earners next to men.

Suggested policies include support for women entrepreneurs; assisting women working in agriculture to boost productivity; reducing Asia's over-reliance on the informal sector; promoting equal access to quality education and training; gender-responsive social protection; ensuring equality in representation and decision-making; and following a rights-based approach.

ADB's Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Vice President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, said that 'ADB is firmly committed to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment through our operations. We believe that ADB has a responsibility to set a positive example for the region in tackling gender inequality. This timely report sheds further light on the negative impacts of gender discrimination in the labour force, and provides a new chance for governments and societies to increase quality employment options for women'.

The report is a joint undertaking by the ADB and the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, reflecting the high-level commitment of both organizations to gender equality as an economic and social investment that will generate enormous dividends for sustainable development in the region.