Economic crisis to hit women harder than men, ILO report says

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Economic crisis to hit women harder than men, ILO report says
In its annual report Global Employment Trends for Women, the Geneva-based employment equity organization said up to 22 million women could join the ranks of the unemployed in 2009.

Becky Rynor, Financial Post


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Font: * * * * The continuing global economic crisis will likely see more women than men lose their jobs in the year ahead, the International Labour Organization warns.

In its annual report Global Employment Trends for Women, the Geneva-based employment equity organization said up to 22 million women could join the ranks of the unemployed in 2009.

"Gender inequality in the world of work has long been with us, but it is likely that it will be exacerbated by the crisis," said Juan Somavia, director-general of the UN agency whose mandate is to promote "decent work" internationally.

"In times of economic upheaval, women often experience the negative consequences more rapidly and are slower to enjoy the benefits of recovery. And already before the crisis, the majority of working women were in the informal economy with lower earnings and less social protection."



The report indicates that of the three billion people employed around the world in 2008, 1.2 billion were women.

In 2009, it predicts the global unemployment rate for women could reach 7.4 per cent, compared to seven per cent for men.

"Women's lower employment rates, weaker control over property and resources, concentration in informal and vulnerable forms of employment with lower earnings, and less social protection, all place women in a weaker position than men to weather crises", said ILO spokeswoman Jane Hodges.

The report predicts the gender impact of the economic crisis is expected to be worse for women in most parts of the world, but particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The countries where unemployment rates may have less of an impact on women include East Asia, developed economies and the non-European Union which had narrower gender gaps in job opportunities prior to the current economic crisis.

© The Vancouver Sun 2009