Economy

Women contribute significantly to economic life everywhere. Their share in the labour force continues to rise, they are becoming more involved in micro-, small and medium enterprises and their income is becoming increasingly necessary to all households.

However, women are largely excluded from economic decision-making. They face low wages, poor working conditions and limited employment and professional opportunities. Though women contribute to development through paid as well as unpaid work, their unpaid work, such as domestic and community work, is not measured in quantitative terms and not valued in national accounts.

Discrimination in education and training, hiring, and remuneration and promotion, as well as inflexible working conditions, lack of access to productive resources and inadequate sharing of family responsibilities, contribute to restricted employment, economic and professional opportunities for women.

The Platform recommends action to:
• Promote women's economic rights and independence, including access to employment and appropriate working conditions and control over economic resources;
• Facilitate women's equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade;
• Provide business services, training and access to markets, information and technology, particularly to low-income women;
• Strengthen women's economic capacity and commercial networks;
• Eliminate occupational segregation and all forms of employment discrimination;
• Promote harmonization of work and family responsibilities for women and men.

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