27 April 2015: Millions of women work in low-paid, poor quality jobs, lack access to clean water and decent sanitation, and lack basic health care, according to a report by UN Women. Titled ‘Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights,’ the report calls for a paradigm shift toward an economic agenda that places women and their economic and social rights at its center, in order to realize women’s empowerment, equality and rights.

The report outlines a vision of a global economy where their work provides women with sufficient incomes to support an adequate standard of living, their work is valued and respected, they have equal access to productive resources and social protection, and they are free from sexual harassment and violence. The report argues that this “alternative economic agenda” would create fairer societies and new employment sectors. The report’s lead author, Shahra Razavi, stressed that such an agenda “is not a pipe dream,” and many countries, including low-income developing countries, are already implementing elements of it.

“Our public resources are not flowing in the directions where they are most needed,” said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who highlighted safe water and sanitation, quality health care, and decent child- and elderly-care services. She added, “Where there are no public services, the deficit is borne by women and girls. She also identified a “care penalty” in which people who care for loved ones forgo economic security and independence.

The UN Women report shows that: only 50% of women participate in the formal, global labor force, compared to 75% of men; women are paid 24% less than men on average; and women are under-represented in economic leadership positions. It explains women are clustered in under-valued occupations; in developing regions, 95% of women’s employment is informal.

The report recommends ten key actions for governments and others, to move toward an economy that works for women: create more and better jobs for women; reduce occupational segregation and gender pay gaps; strengthen women’s income security throughout the life cycle; recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work; invest in gender-responsive social services; maximize resources for the achievement of substantive equality; support women’s organizations to claim rights and shape policy agendas at all levels; create an enabling global environment for the realization of women’s rights; use human rights standards to shape policies and catalyze change; and generate evidence to assess progress on women’s economic and social rights.

The report also addresses progress for women within the post-2015 development agenda, calling for achieving gender equality.

UN Women launched the report in seven cities around the world on 27 April 2015. [UN Women Press Release] [UN Press Release] [UN Women Deputy Executive Director Statement at New York Launch] [Publication: Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016] [Summary]