GENDER EQUALITY
“ WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND MAKE THE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT MORE EQUAL ”
FANNIE DELAVILLE EUROPE MANAGER , BPIFRANCE
the gender gap ,” she says pointedly , calling for governments , businesses and other leaders to take firm action to address it .
Gender parity in the labour force stands at 62.9 %, the lowest level registered since the index was first compiled . The World Economic Forum says the disproportionately negative labour market impact of the pandemic can be explained “ partly through the sectoral composition of the shock and partly through continued disparities in care responsibilities that were exacerbated by the pandemic ”. The majority of care work fell on women as childcare facilities and schools were closed . Even before the pandemic , men ’ s share of time in unpaid work as a proportion spent in total work was 19 %, while for women this was 55 %.
Zahidi warns that as global crises compound , the rate of progress is at risk of slipping even further . “ The cost of living crisis is impacting women disproportionately after the shock of labour market losses during the pandemic and the continued inadequacy of care infrastructure . In face of a weak recovery , government and business must make two sets of efforts : targeted policies to support women ’ s return to the workforce and women ’ s talent development in the industries of the future . Otherwise , we risk eroding the gains of the last decades permanently and losing out on the future economic returns of diversity .”
The global gender gap report explores the state of gender gaps in the workforce through complementary data available in the Economy Profiles as well as new metrics
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