Leave No One Behind A Call to Action

Leave No One Behind: A Call to Action for Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment REPORT BRIEFING SEPTEMBER 2016

Goals of the High-Level Panel 1. Demonstrate high-level leadership and commitment 2. Inform and inspire action - highlight rigorous evidence about gains from accelerating women’s economic empowerment 3. Identify priorities for concrete, effective, scalable and transformative actions that address critical constraints and that can be taken now 4. Show governments, employer and worker organizations, businesses, multilateral organizations, development partners, and civil society can work in partnerships to achieve women’s economic empowerment ©UNHLP 2016

Outline of the Report Overview and Call to Action ü One / Why Now? ü Two / Where Do We Stand, and Why? ü Three / Seven Proven and Promising Drivers to Expand Women’s Economic Opportunities ü Four / An Agenda for Action ©UNHLP 2016

Seven Principles for a Transformative Agenda for Women’s Economic Empowerment 1. No woman left behind 2. Nothing done for women without women 3. Equal focus on rights and gains 4. Tackle root causes 5. State parties must respect international human rights and labour standards 6. Partnerships are critical 7. Deliver globally ©UNHLP 2016

CHAPTER 1: WHY NOW? ©UNHLP 2016

Why Now? Ø Gender equality is a matter of human rights Ø Women’s economic empowerment yields significant human development gains Ø Women’s economic empowerment benefits the economy; the cost of large and persistent economic gender gaps is substantial Ø Women’s economic empowerment is smart business strategy; women add value throughout the business value chain ©UNHLP 2016

Gender Equality is Associated with Human Development Correlation between human development and gender inequality 1 Human Development Index (0– 1), 2014 0, 9 Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia 0, 8 0, 7 Developed regions 0, 6 East Asia and the Pacific 0, 5 Latin America and the Caribbean 0, 4 Middle East and North Africa 0, 3 South Asia 0, 2 Sub-Saharan Africa 0, 1 0 0 0, 1 0, 2 0, 3 0, 4 0, 5 Gender Inequality Index (0– 1), 2014 0, 6 0, 7 0, 8 ©UNHLP 2016

Gender Equality is Associated with Higher Income Per Capita Correlation between log GDP and gender inequality Log GDP per capita (PPP), 2014 14 12 Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia 10 Developed regions East Asia and the Pacific 8 Latin America and the Caribbean 6 Middle East and North Africa 4 South Asia 2 0 Sub-Saharan Africa 0 0, 1 0, 2 0, 3 0, 4 0, 5 Gender Inequality Index (0– 1), 2014 0, 6 0, 7 0, 8 ©UNHLP 2016

Women’s Economic Empowerment is Smart Business: A Value Chain Perspective ©UNHLP 2016

CHAPTER 2: WHERE DO WOMEN STAND, AND WHY? ©UNHLP 2016

Gender Gaps in the World of Work are Large, Pervasive & Persistent • Globally, only 50% of women (15+) participate in employment for pay or profit, compared with about 75% of men • About 700 million fewer women than men of working age are in paid employment— 1. 27 billion women against 2 billion men • Women undertake about 3 times more unpaid work than men • Many women are in jobs, sectors and occupations reflecting gender stereotypes and characterized by relatively low earnings, poor working conditions and limited career-advancement opportunities • Even in the same or similar jobs, women are paid less on average ©UNHLP 2016

Systemic Constraints Contribute to Persistent Gaps ©UNHLP 2016

The Global Gender Gap in Labour Force Participation has Narrowed Slightly, with Regional Variation Trends in labour force participation gender gap (age 15+), 1990 -2015 (%) ©UNHLP 2016

Gender Wage Gaps are Closing in Most Regions Mean hourly gender wage gaps, 1991 and 2014 ©UNHLP 2016

Significant but Variable Regional Gender Gaps in Internet Access and Mobile Phone Ownership Gender gap in internet access and in mobile phone ownership, by region, 2015 ©UNHLP 2016

CHAPTER 3: SEVEN PROVEN AND PROMISING DRIVERS TO EXPAND WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ©UNHLP 2016

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1. Tackling Adverse Norms & Promoting Positive Role Models Ø Ø Social norms are the rules that direct, shape or regulate practice, beliefs and institutions – affecting how women and men act, value, and aspire. Ø Conscious and/or sub-conscious - operating at the individual, household and/or collective levels Ø May be sticky, but not stagnant Social norms shape expectations and actions, including: Ø Perception of what is skilled and unskilled Ø Care responsibilities unpaid work burden Ø The man as provider a barrier to men's equal participation in care Ø Work outside the home, educational and occupational choices – for women and men Ø Leadership in communities, governments and private sector Ø Acceptability of violence against women and girls ©UNHLP 2016

Tackling Adverse Norms & Promoting Positive Role Models (2) Social norms are correlated with economic opportunities ©UNHLP 2016

1. Tackling Adverse Norms & Promoting Positive Role Models: Proven & Promising ü Work with children and adolescents, both boys and girls, to break entrenched and discriminatory norms ü Encourage girls and women to move into non-traditional occupations ü Shift norms about what fields of study and work are appropriate for girls and women ü Eliminate gender-based violence ü Engage both women and men in community dialogue and mobilization ü Support collective agency to make change ü Businesses combat biases in hiring, promotion and pay processes ü Corporate and public leaders can be champions of gender equality agendas, creating role models and setting standards ü Feminist political activists and women’s rights organizations are working to change discriminatory behaviour and attitudes; mobilizing for legal and policy reform ü Media, television and radio can be an ally for change ©UNHLP 2016

2. Ensuring Legal Protection & Reforming Discriminatory Laws & Regulations Ø Laws reflect society’s expectations for gender roles Ø Laws provide an important framework to enable women to know, assert and enforce their rights Ø Relevant laws range from property ownership and inheritance, to family law, to public law, to access to public space and municipal regulations Ø 90% of economies have at least one discriminatory law ©UNHLP 2016

2. Ensuring Legal Protection & Reforming Discriminatory Laws & Regulations (2) Gender legal differences by region, 2015 ©UNHLP 2016

2. Ensuring Legal Protection & Reforming Discriminatory Laws & Regulations: Proven & Promising Actions ü Ratify and implement key international convention ü Prohibit discrimination in economic opportunities (hiring, pay, pregnancy); ensure universal access to avenues of recourse - Eliminate gender-based differences in property and family law ü Legislation should prohibit violence against women, addressing related issues in health and safety as well ü Gender discrimination and bias that arise in customary law should be addressed in constitutions ü Legal and regulatory reforms—especially simplification of procedures—can facilitate WOEs to start up, access finance and productive resources, and trade ü Reduce discriminatory laws against the informal economy, where most women workers in developing countries are engaged ü Countries should consider defining casual workers, temporary workers, workers employed through brokers/intermediaries and workers in other kinds of non-standard arrangements ü Domestic workers should be covered by legal and social protection; as well as migrant workers ü Support civil society advocacy & strategic public interest litigation ü Training and capacity building in institutions (e. g. , legislators, police officials, community leaders ©UNHLP 2016

3. Recognizing, Reducing & Redistributing Unpaid Work & Care Ø Unpaid care amounts to $10 trillion, or 13% of GDP (conservative costing assumptions) Ø Repercussions include time poverty for women, less leisure, more limited economic opportunities and discrimination in hiring and career prospects; unsuitable care. Men also lose out – less connection with family, and weaker relationships Ø Care burden is expected to increase with population aging Ø The reduction and redistribution of unpaid work and care require investments from both the public and private sectors. These investments have significant long-term benefits not only for women and their families but also for the economy, business and society ©UNHLP 2016

3. Recognizing, Reducing & Redistributing Unpaid Work & Care (2) ©UNHLP 2016

3. Recognizing, Reducing & Redistributing Unpaid Work & Care: Proven & Promising Actions ü Work to change norms about gender roles in care ü Invest in key infrastructure (water, sanitation, electricity, clean energy, roads and safe transport) and access to time- and labour-saving technologies ü Provide access to affordable high-quality childcare and preprimary services and education for children ü Offer paid leave – both maternity and paternity ü Support care for the elderly ü Support paid jobs in the care sector that provide decent conditions and a living wage ©UNHLP 2016

4. Building Assets – Digital, Financial & Property Ø Ø Ø Digital Ø Large digital gender gaps - especially in Internet access and mobile phone usage and ownership - impede inclusive global development Ø Barriers: Access, affordability, and adoption (e. g. , social norms, illiteracy, lack of awareness and relevant content) Financial Ø Gender gap of 7 percentage points in account ownership (as high as 18 percentage points in South Asia), with similar gaps in savings and credit accounts Ø Barriers: poverty, lack of official documentation, financial illiteracy, social norms & legal discrimination Property Ø Gender differences in ownership and control of property are major determinants of gender inequality Ø Ownership and control of land livestock are skewed towards men ©UNHLP 2016

4. Building Assets – Digital: Proven & Promising Actions ü Law, policies and regulations should support digital inclusion while addressing safety, privacy and data protection concerns ü Broadband plans should address gender-specific barriers to access, affordability and adoption, with adequate funds for implementation ü Public–private partnerships can improve digital access for disadvantaged populations, with innovative solutions to serve rural and remote areas ü Affordability needs to be addressed in many countries, especially for lowincome customers, through reduced pricing or free access ü Design programs specifically targeted to increase women’s access and use of mobile phones and the Internet ü Training and mentoring programmes can improve women’s digital literacy ü Increase local content relevant to women on the Internet in developing countries ©UNHLP 2016

4. Building Assets – Financial & Property: Proven & Promising Actions (2) Financial ü Eliminate legal gender differences in inheritance and property ownership limiting women’s access to capital ü Simplify the procedures to obtain official personal identification ü Reduce the costs of opening and maintaining a savings account ü Digital financial solutions have enormous promise ü Better tailor financial products to women’s specific needs; expand financial and business education and with access to savings and insurance products ü Support financial cooperatives of women Property ü Implement reforms to improve access to property (land tenure, land titling, etc. ) ü Regulate access to public space and natural resources for women to pursue their livelihoods ©UNHLP 2016

5. Changing Business Culture & Practice Ø The cultures and practices of these private sector businesses have significant impacts on women’s economic opportunities. Ø Many women are private sector employees, in firms which range in size, type of work, and place of operations Ø All businesses have the capacity to make changes in their culture and practices to increase economic opportunities and improve economic outcomes for women, though the specific changes will vary by company. ©UNHLP 2016

5. Changing Business Culture & Practice: Proven & Promising Actions ü Business leaders visibly commit to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment ü Change human resources policies and processes to eliminate implicit bias in recruitment, hiring, promotion, and pay ü Conduct regular reviews of pay equity with avenues of recourse ü Offer flexible work options which do not prejudice advancement opportunities ü Extend training, mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for women to develop hard and soft skills ü Provide family-friendly policies including paid maternity/paternity leave and support for childcare and elderly care ü Ensure that workers in company supply chains have safe and healthy working conditions, are paid decent wages and have basic labour rights ü Increase the share of trade and procurement for WOEs and female cooperatives ü Support campaigns and initiatives that promote gender equality in the workplace and in value chains ü Establish measures of impact and targets to monitor progress on reducing gender gaps and increasing gender diversity ©UNHLP 2016

6. Improving Public Sector Practices in Employment & Procurement Ø The public sector is a major employer, especially of women Ø About 16% of women who work are employed by the public sector, with wide variation across regions and countries: Ø In Central and Eastern Europe, one in three working women are employed by the government, against only 7% in Sub-Saharan Africa Ø In Norway, the public sector employs almost half of all women in paid wage and salary jobs, while the equivalent figure for Uganda is only 2% Ø Under the SDGs, governments have committed to the goals of gender parity and women’s economic empowerment. Ø As major employers, governments can undertake concrete actions to honour their commitments to the 2030 Agenda. ©UNHLP 2016

6. Improving Public Sector Practices in Employment & Procurement: Proven & Promising Actions ü Review and modify their recruitment, training, promotion and pay practices to eliminate implicit biases and stereotypes ü Work with the private sector to reduce gender gaps in pay ü Adopt measures to empower women in public service employment (e. g. , practices to enhance recruitment, promotion and career advancement; quotas or targets; leadership development and mentoring programmes; antidiscrimination laws) ü Define WOEs and establish criteria for their certification, registration and participation in the bidding process ü Address the regulatory and procedural constraints in their procurement processes to facilitate participation of SMEs ü Establish procurement goals from WOEs and women’s collective enterprises (including informal producers) ©UNHLP 2016

7. Strengthening Visibility, Collective Voice & Representation Ø The rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining are fundamental labour and human rights Ø These rights apply to workers and employers exercising the right to organize, including workers in both the formal and informal economy. Ø Trade union membership has been on the decline globally, but women’s share of membership is rising Ø Women the majority of trade union members in 33% of the 39 developing and developed countries with data ©UNHLP 2016

7. Strengthening Visibility, Collective Voice & Representation: Proven & Promising Actions ü Quotas and targets to increase women’s traditionally very low leadership in trade unions ü Offer training in business and leadership skills, technical advice and assistance (such as how to link to markets and supply chains) and access to enterprise finance ü Provide research, statistical, technical and advocacy support to organizations of informal workers and help build networks ü Policy and regulatory frameworks can facilitate the creation, registration and work of collective organizations ü Strategic engagement with print, television, online and social media is key ©UNHLP 2016

CHAPTER 4: AN AGENDA FOR ACTION ©UNHLP 2016

This Report is a Global Call to Step Up Action Ø ü Panel members are taking actions now around the 7 drivers to accelerate women’s economic empowerment across society, in the workplace and across businesses big and small 1. Breaking stereotypes: Tackling adverse social norms and promoting positive role models 2. Leveling the playing field for women: Ensuring legal labour and social protections and reforming discriminatory laws and regulations 3. Investing in care: Recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work and promoting decent care jobs 4. Ensuring a fair share of assets: Building assets—digital, financial, and property 5. Businesses creating opportunities: Changing business culture and practice 6. Governments creating opportunities: Improving public sector practices in employment and procurement 7. Enhancing women’s voices: Strengthening visibility, collective voice and representation Preliminary set of SDG indicators related to the 7 drivers ©UNHLP 2016

Improving Sex-Disaggregated Data & Gender Analysis is Key Ø The Evidence and Data for Gender Equality (EDGE) project – measuring individual-level asset ownership and control, and entrepreneurship; formulating best practice international guidelines Ø New employment definitions of the 19 th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) Ø Improving statistics on women’s paid work and unpaid work, and on informal work ©UNHLP 2016

A Look Ahead at the Panel’s Continuing Work Ø The Panel calls on the global community to join in taking actions based on the seven principles and the 7 drivers of change Ø Next report will document ongoing and new Panel member actions will be launched March 2017 (at the Commission on the Status of Women) Ø The first report is the start of a process to embark on new actions and establish new partnerships across global stakeholders ©UNHLP 2016

QUESTIONS? ©UNHLP 2016