Shikha Jha

ADB Gender Specialists Annual Exchange and Workshop

7 August 2014
Overview
Macroeconomic policy emphasizes
growth and broader goals of well-being
employment and equity not just price stability

Gender-responsive macro policy can promote
equality in education, family benefits, access to credit and
jobs

Status of women in the region
Girls and women face differential
treatment at all ages
Girls lose out on education
0
2
4
6
8
10
Kyrgyzstan PRC Papua New
Guinea
Afghanistan India Indonesia Philippines
Average years of schooling, 2000-2012
Male Female
Source: ILO, Key Indicators of the Labor Market, 8
th
edition
And, women are left behind
0
30
60
90
Kyrgyzstan PRC Papua New
Guinea
Afghanistan India Indonesia Philippines
Labor Force Participation Rate, 2012 (%)
Male Female
Average LFPR for female
Average LFPR for male
Source: ILO, Key Indicators of the Labor Market, 8
th
edition
Many are discouraged; stop searching for jobs
Not actively
seeking jobs,
discouraged
workers
Students
Employed
Unemployed
Jobless
Example: India Youth 2004-05
Unemployment rate = 4%
Jobless rate = 29%
Finding a job may take years
Estimated median ages of
school-leaving and job entry
Indonesia 18 and 22
Philippines 18 and 22
Thailand 18 and 20
Youth joblessness affects women more
0
15
30
45
60
1993-94 2004-05 1994 2004 1991 2006 1995 2005
India Indonesia Philippines Thailand
%
Jobless rates for young men versus young women
(15-24)
Male Female
Disparities in work
Women account for most unpaid work
Female-owned businesses
small size of business, lower profits, labor productivity
In paid employment
low wages, glass ceiling, informal employment
Ratio of median wages of young
women to young men
0.72
0.75
0.71
0.87
0.76
0.89
1.00
1.01
-
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1993-942004-05 1994 2006 1991 2006 1995 2005
India Indonesia Philippines Thailand
%
Growth-induced gender barriers
High prices/ production costs unemployment:
women are fired first
Rise in interest rates reduces womens access to
credit and financial services
Limited employment in export-oriented
manufacturing due to mechanization and automation
Depth of gender inequality: Rich women
benefit more from public services than poor
0
20
40
60
80
100
BAN CAM IND INO NEP PAK PHI VIE
W
e
a
l
t
h

Q
i
n
t
i
l
e

Percent of women who received
skilled antenatal care (latest year)
Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest
Gender Gap Index (0-1)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PHI
KAZ
MON
SRI
SIN
LAO
KGZ
THA
PRC
VIE
BRU
TAJ
BHU
ARM INO
AZE
IND
MAL
CAM
KOR
FIJ
NEP
PAK
Iceland
Japan
USA
Source: World Economic Forum, 2013 Global Gender Gap Report
Total inequality = 0
Total equality = 1
Gender equity
gaps in
education
health
economics and
politics

Gender Gap Index (0-1)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PHI
KAZ
MON
SRI
SIN
LAO
KGZ
THA
PRC
VIE
BRU
TAJ
BHU
ARM INO
AZE
IND
MAL
CAM
KOR
FIJ
NEP
PAK
Iceland
Japan
USA
2006
Source: World Economic Forum, 2013 Global Gender Gap Report
Total inequality = 0
Total equality = 1
Gender equality
gaps in
education
health
economics and
politics

Slight improvement in
Gender Gap Index (0-1)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
PHI
KAZ
MON
SRI
SIN
LAO
KGZ
THA
PRC
VIE
BRU
TAJ
BHU
ARM INO
AZE
IND
MAL
CAM
KOR
FIJ
NEP
PAK
Iceland
Japan
USA
2013
2006
Source: World Economic Forum, 2013 Global Gender Gap Report
Total inequality = 0
Total equality = 1
Gender equality
gaps in
education
health
economics and
politics

Poorer countries are more biased
against women
-
.
2
0
.
2
.
4
.
6
.
8
G
e
n
d
e
r

I
n
e
q
u
a
l
i
t
y

I
n
d
e
x

2
0
1
3
0 20000 40000 60000 80000
2013 GNI per capita (2011 PPP$)
Source: Human Development Report 2014
Gender Inequality Index (0-1):
Loss in human development
due to gender inequality in
reproductive health
empowerment and
labor market
Macroeconomic policy for
improving womens
contribution to the economy
Education is key to
better employment prospects
SE Asia Higher education is associated with lower
jobless rates for 25-34 age group
Thailand Bachelors degree increases job
prospects 5 times compared to no education
To reduce waiting time to get a job, match
education and training with emerging skills
high-tech manufacturing
participation in global trade and production networks
Catch them young
1/3
rd
of East Asias growth attributable to youth
bulge or demographic dividend'
Reaping the dividend depends on the policy
environment
education policy
labor market regulations
macroeconomic management
It pays to involve women in market
work
High female labor force participation
accounted for 0.6%1.6% of annual per capita growth in
Hongkong, Korea, Singapore, Taipei
House work not included in national income
Fiscal policy
Gender-based budgeting
Expenditure allocation to address womens health, social and
education inequalities (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia)
Lower income tax rates/ tax rebates for women (India)
Family benefits
Child care for women garment workers in Bangladesh funded by
NGOs, government, donors
Programs for poor women entrepreneurs, e.g., India: Shakti Amma
(Empowered Mothers) program by Hindustan Unilever and Indian
NGOs
Monetary policy
To prevent negative consequences for self-employed
women and low-income groups
Subsidized interest rates for greater access to credit and
financial services
Cheap credit for programs promoting business start-ups
for young women

Summing up
Macroeconomic policy
Aims for growth and price stability

Gender-responsive macro policy can promote
can promote equal participation by women to maximize
development outcomes through
equality in education, access to jobs and credit, and
availability of family benefits