Title: Women’s Equality Means Economic Development and Prosperity
Study: WDR 2012: Gender Equality and Development (Lin, World bank, 2012)
Finding: When women achieve equality greater equality and agency (i.e., empowerment), the result is greater economic prosperity for the family, community and the economy as a whole in developing economies.
InPower Insight: Women’s equality isn’t just a social justice and human rights issue – it’s an economic issue that both women and men should care about all over the world.
Summary:
According to the World Bank study there is a strong correlation between empowered women who have education and financial influence, and healthy outcomes for their families and economic development for the society as a whole. Conversely, when women are kept from attaining resources such as healthcare, education, credit, and land, much harm can be done to the local and global economy. Many gender gaps exist that can prove detrimental to economic development. Mortality rates among girls and women are higher, girls receive less secondary education and women are more likely to work as unpaid laborers.
By contrast, when barriers to women’s accessibility are removed and they achieve agency, studies show that the productivity gap between men and women is reduced by half. Moreover, output per worker is increased by 3 to 25 percent in some nations. Improvements go beyond simple participation, but include more positive qualitative results as well such as improved health and education for younger generations. By closing economic gender gaps, economic stability and opportunities for future generations improve.
Recent data shows that women now comprise 40 percent of the global work force, 43 percent of the agricultural labor force, and more than half of university students.
Personal Coaching Tip: Any time you doubt your importance to the “economy” of your business, your family, your community or your country, remember that your personal participation in the economy matters and improves results. What’s true for these African villages is also true on corporate Boards in the Western world. We call this The Woman Effect and you’re part of it!
Keywords: Access, Agricultural labor force, Gender gap, Productivity, gender equality, world bank, development, the woman effect
Guide to Women in Leadership
Organizations with women in their executive suites regularly out-perform others. Yet rising female executives (and their mentors) are frustrated at how hard it is to break through the glass ceiling. In this extensive guide, Executive Coach Dana Theus shares her tried and true strategies to help women excel into higher levels of leadership and achieve their executive potential.
