United Nations — The growing gender gap between men and women is reflected not only in the world's highest political hierarchies but also in the daily social and economic lives--with most women fighting a losing battle against poverty.
The latest flagship report from UN Women reveals a widening gender gap in social protection -- the raft of policies, including cash benefits, unemployment protection, pensions and healthcare - which leaves women and girls more vulnerable to poverty.
Released ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17, the report shows that a staggering two billion women and girls are without access to any form of social protection.
While levels of social protection have increased since 2015, gender gaps in such coverage have widened in most developing regions, suggesting that the recent gains have benefited men more than women.
In a world of turmoil, the report calls on governments to provide women and girls with sustainable pathways out of poverty, by prioritizing the needs of women and girls in their social protection measures and crisis responses.
Sandra Ramirez, a Legal and Advocacy Advisor at Equality Now, told IPS women around the world continue to be denied their economic rights- and their economic participation is hindered by a range of sex-discriminatory laws, including those that govern labor and prevent women from having equal access to property ownership, inheritance, and retirement rights.
In numerous countries, she pointed out, women face barriers to accessing credit and bank accounts and are barred from certain professions. Financial inequality prevents many women from accruing wealth, attaining economic stability, and investing in essentials such as housing, healthcare, and retirement.
"Legal and social restrictions on women's access to education and economic participation limit their earning potential, widen the gender pay gap, and curtail their decision-making power. This combines to keep women disproportionately represented in low-wage, insecure, and unregulated jobs, with limited access to career advancement opportunities," she said.
UN Women's new report highlights how globally, in 2023, just 36.4% of women with newborns were covered by maternity benefits. Without adequate paid maternity leave, new mothers are often forced to return to work shortly after childbirth, potentially jeopardizing their physical and mental health as they juggle the demands of childcare and work.
The lack of paid paternity leave in many countries perpetuates traditional gender roles, placing the burden of caregiving on women and forcing mothers to choose between their careers and family responsibilities.
The unequal distribution of unpaid care work and the undervaluation of women's unpaid care and domestic labor compounds the obstacles women face, said Ramirez, who is based in Colombia.
Ben Phillips, author of 'How to Fight Inequality' and a former advisor to governments on social policy, told IPS the numbers revealed in UN Women's powerful new report should shock policymakers into action.
"The widening chasm in social protection is pushing millions into misery, driving deprivation across generations, holding back growth, and undermining the social contract. The data in this report expose no mere set of unfortunate policy mistakes but instead structural, systemic and spiraling inequality that is the backdrop for a moment in which development, prosperity and stability are all in danger".
The cause for hope, he pointed out, is that there are policy solutions proven to work. The challenge, however, is to overcome elite political obstruction to any equalizing policy proposals. The only safe approach for the world now is for leaders to be bold, and for citizens to organise to ensure that they are," he declared.
Meanwhile, the report shows the dismal state of maternity protection across the globe. Despite advancements, more than 63 per cent of women worldwide still give birth without access to maternity benefits, with the figure soaring to 94 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.
The lack of financial support during maternity leave not only places women at an economic disadvantage, it also compromises their health and well-being and that of their children, perpetuating poverty across generations.
The report also paints a stark picture of the gendered nature of poverty. Women and girls are overrepresented among the poor at every stage of life, with the largest gaps during their childbearing years. Women aged 25-34 are 25 per cent more likely to live in extremely poor households than men in the same age group.
Conflict and climate change exacerbate this inequality. Women in fragile contexts are 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty compared to those in non-fragile environments.
Gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities are often neglected in the aftermath of shocks. For example, very high rates of inflation since 2022, which have led to spiraling food and energy prices, hit women particularly hard.
Yet, out of nearly 1,000 social protection measures adopted by governments across 171 countries in the months that followed, only 18 per cent targeted women's economic security.
Ramirez of Equality Now said the gender gap in social protection leaves women bearing the brunt of economic instability and undermines their ability to recover and thrive. Climate change and conflicts around the world are deepening economic inequality for women, as resources are diverted away from social protections that they desperately need.
With two billion women and girls lacking access to basic social safety nets, they are being pushed further into poverty, particularly in regions devastated by environmental disasters, war, and unrest.
"The push for higher military spending under the guise of national security has, in various cases, resulted in cuts to budgets that support women, depriving them of critical services like shelters and legal resources. Moreover, tax regimes, trade policies, and international agreements are often skewed against the interests of women and girls, further entrenching gender inequality."
Addressing the gender pay gap, argued Ramirez, requires governments to actively strengthen legal protections for women in the workforce. This includes preventing them from being confined to low-paid or unregulated roles. It also requires addressing the issue of women being forced to leave work for unpaid caregiving and subsequently denied equal pension access.
"The adoption of progressive laws, like equal pay for equal work by governments, is important, and the robust implementation of these laws is vital for meaningful change. Women's participation in the economy should not be seen as a trade-off among competing development priorities--it must be embedded at the core of all developmental processes".
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It's time to shift the narrative, she said. "Boosting women's economic involvement, acknowledging and valuing their contributions and expertise, and redefining how we measure and promote economic activity should be recognized as urgent imperatives".
Presenting the report, at a joint event with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, said the potential of social protection for gender equality, resilience and transformation is enormous.
"To harness this, we need to centre the dignity, agency and empowerment of women and girls at every stage of the process - from policy and programme design to delivery and financing."
With contributions from academia, civil society and the UN system, notably the International Labour Organization (ILO), the report spotlights examples of progress. Countries such as Mongolia have extended maternity leave benefits to informal workers, including herders and the self-employed, while also strengthening paternity leave to support gender equality in caregiving responsibilities
In countries like Mexico and Tunisia, steps have been taken to include domestic workers in social security systems. In Senegal, the National Health Insurance scheme has extended and adapted its services to cater to rural women, with support from UN Women.
These initiatives demonstrate the transformative potential of social protection systems, policies and programmes that are gender-responsive, i.e. that pay special attention to the unique challenges that women and girls face.
