2.3 Women workers and the work of women: Working Out of Poverty
2.3 Women workers and the work of women: Working Out of Poverty
and experiences now that will shape her ability to obtain and
maintain decent work throughout her adult life, and enjoy security and protection
in her old age. If girls, compared to boys, face negative cultural attitudes
and practices and discrimination from birth, they will grow up to be
women with greater constraints and few choices and opportunities. In turn,
they will be less able to influence positively the lives of their daughters and
sons, so that poverty is likely to be passed on from one generation to the
next.
The links between a vicious cycle of poverty and gender discrimination
against the girl child start at the earliest stages of life within families.
Throughout life, from birth to old age, gender discrimination contributes
both to the feminization of poverty and to the perpetuation of poverty from
one generation to the next.
About half a million women die each year as a result of pregnancy and
childbirth – the vast majority of them in developing countries. Young women
face greater difficulties finding employment than young men, with unemployment
rates sometimes 50 per cent higher. The school-to-work transition
is harder for young women than for young men, but more and more women
have been entering the labour force – as much out of need as of choice.
About two-thirds of the female workforce of the developing world, outside
agriculture, are active in the informal economy, with the figure reaching
84 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Most are own-account workers involved
in home-based work or street vending, which are generally the most insecure
and unremunerative forms of informal work. Informal women entrepreneurs
similarly have fewer assets than their male counterparts and face
even greater problems in gaining access to credit or title to their property.
For those in wage employment, a large gap persists between male and female
earnings, despite the increasing adoption of equal pay legislation.
There has been a tremendous rise in dual-income families and singleparent
households, but societal perceptions of work and family have
changed little.
Women continue to have primary responsibility for housework,
childcare and unpaid work, so that increasing participation in paid employment
in many cases simply means women work extra long hours.
To balance work and family responsibilities, women tend to move in
and out of the labour force several times over the course of their lives. Here
again, they lose out to men, not only in terms of accumulated social security
but also in terms of opportunities for lifelong learning and continuous training
– without which they have lower employability. Ageist and sexist discrimination
in the world of work appears to be occurring at earlier ages. In a
growing number of countries, women over 35 years of age are finding it increasingly
difficult to get jobs or be rehired – and thereby fall into poverty.
For the many female-headed rural households, remittances from the
wages of urban-based family members are often an important but unreliable
source of income. Compared to those in urban areas, rural families are large,
increasing the number of people dependent on low and intermittent incomes.
Women marry at an earlier age, and infant and maternal mortality is
higher than in urban areas. In addition to suffering discrimination in pay and
access to land, legacies and credit, women also carry the double burden of
care of the elderly and children and household tasks, as well as being expected
to work in the fields.
23 Women workers and the work of women Working Out of Poverty - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Free Download - 10.3 Training for existing enterprises: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005 |
Today’s girl child is tomorrow’s older woman worker, and it is her opportunities
and experiences now that will shape her ability to obtain and
maintain decent work throughout her adult life, and enjoy security and protection
in her old age. If girls, compared to boys, face negative cultural attitudes
and practices and discrimination from birth, they will grow up to be
women with greater constraints and few choices and opportunities. In turn,
they will be less able to influence positively the lives of their daughters and
sons, so that poverty is likely to be passed on from one generation to the
next.
The links between a vicious cycle of poverty and gender discrimination
against the girl child start at the earliest stages of life within families.
Throughout life, from birth to old age, gender discrimination contributes
both to the feminization of poverty and to the perpetuation of poverty from
one generation to the next.
About half a million women die each year as a result of pregnancy and
childbirth – the vast majority of them in developing countries. Young women
face greater difficulties finding employment than young men, with unemployment
rates sometimes 50 per cent higher. The school-to-work transition
is harder for young women than for young men, but more and more women
have been entering the labour force – as much out of need as of choice.
About two-thirds of the female workforce of the developing world, outside
agriculture, are active in the informal economy, with the figure reaching
84 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Most are own-account workers involved
in home-based work or street vending, which are generally the most insecure
and unremunerative forms of informal work. Informal women entrepreneurs
similarly have fewer assets than their male counterparts and face
even greater problems in gaining access to credit or title to their property.
For those in wage employment, a large gap persists between male and female
earnings, despite the increasing adoption of equal pay legislation.
There has been a tremendous rise in dual-income families and singleparent
households, but societal perceptions of work and family have
changed little.
Women continue to have primary responsibility for housework,
childcare and unpaid work, so that increasing participation in paid employment
in many cases simply means women work extra long hours.
To balance work and family responsibilities, women tend to move in
and out of the labour force several times over the course of their lives. Here
again, they lose out to men, not only in terms of accumulated social security
but also in terms of opportunities for lifelong learning and continuous training
– without which they have lower employability. Ageist and sexist discrimination
in the world of work appears to be occurring at earlier ages. In a
growing number of countries, women over 35 years of age are finding it increasingly
difficult to get jobs or be rehired – and thereby fall into poverty.
For the many female-headed rural households, remittances from the
wages of urban-based family members are often an important but unreliable
source of income. Compared to those in urban areas, rural families are large,
increasing the number of people dependent on low and intermittent incomes.
Women marry at an earlier age, and infant and maternal mortality is
higher than in urban areas. In addition to suffering discrimination in pay and
access to land, legacies and credit, women also carry the double burden of
care of the elderly and children and household tasks, as well as being expected
to work in the fields.
23 Women workers and the work of women Working Out of Poverty - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to International's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Dream Boards Purpose of Value Propositions Funding Worksheet Instant Newsletters How To Get Media Attention |
|
 | ||
 |
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | |
 |
Top 50 Debt Blogs
Learn To Get Out Of Debt | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
