Key Issues in

Gender and
Development
REPORTERS:
ACOSTA, BERNISTO, DELA PIEZA, ESPARAS,
PEÑARANDA, PONAYO, SIO, VOCAL
Employment/Live
lihoods: Poverty
EMPLOYMENT/LIVELIHOODS: POVERTY

• The labor force participation

rate for women was 47% and
72% for men.
EMPLOYMENT/LIVELIHOODS: POVERTY

• Women, on average, earn less than men.

The global gender wage gap is estimated
to be 20%, which means that for the same
work, women earn only 80% of what men
earn.
EMPLOYMENT/LIVELIHOODS: POVERTY

• One in every 10 women is living in

extreme poverty. This is largely due to
limited access to decent jobs, education,
and economic resources.
 GENDER ROLES

Women's decisions to enter paid work

are heavily influenced by socio-economic
constraints and pressure to conform to
traditional gender roles.
 GENDER ROLES

Women are disproportionately responsible for

unpaid family and household work, such as
childcare, cooking, and cleaning. This unpaid
work limits their ability to engage in paid
labor, which is essential for reducing poverty.
 LACK OF SAFE TRANSPORT
In developing and emerging countries,
inadequate transportation infrastructure
and the risk of harassment on public
transportation create additional barriers to
women's participation in the workforce.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GENDER GAPS

From an economic perspective, reducing gender gaps in

labor force participation could significantly boost global
GDP.
Regions with the largest gender gaps would experience
substantial growth benefits. Even many developed countries
would see an increase in their average annual GDP growth,
which is especially important during periods of near-zero
economic growth.
Closing the Gender Gap: A Path to Sustainable Development
Gender and Trade
 Introduction
Over the past three decades, the world has become
increasingly integrated. Trade in goods as a share of gross
domestic product (GDP) increased form about 43 percent in
1995 to almost 60 percent in 2017. Tariffs have also
progressively fallen since the establishment of the General
Agreement in Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948. Applied most
favored nation (MFN) rates have fallen from levels over 10
percent in 1995 to slightly over 7 percent in 2017.
 Introduction
Open trade benefits lower-income households by
offering more affordable goods and services.
Integrating with the world economy through trade
and global value chains (GVCs) drives economic
growth and reduces poverty both locally and
globally. International trade has played an
important role in improving global gender equality
over time.
 Introduction
Global trade can drive improvements in women’s rights
and economic participation. In an integrated world,
gender inequality makes countries less competitive,
especially those with female dominated export
industries. Discrimination also hinders innovation and
diversification, particularly in low-income countries
where women have fewer opportunities. Empowering
women boosts productivity and job creation.
 How trade affects women
workers
International trade has a positive effect on gender
equality by helping women move into the formal
economy and get jobs with better conditions and
benefits. Firms that are more integrated into the world
economy have higher shares of female employment.
Industries that are more integrated into the global
economy have a lower gender wage gap.
 How trade affects women
workers
Despite these positive effects, the impact of more open
trade on individual female workers can differ widely
depending on where they work, where they live, and their
specific characteristics. Female workers may lose their
jobs if they work in industries that face foreign
competition. Better technology driven by trade
competition can open jobs opportunities for women in
previously closed industries.
 How trade affect women
consumers and decision makers
Trade affects women consumers and decision makers by
lowering prices, increasing household buying power, and
influencing labor demand. This can impact decisions on
education, marriage and family size. However,
understanding trade’s specific effects on women is
complex due to household dynamics and bargaining
power.
 How trade affects women
consumers and decision makers
TRADE OPENNESS CAN INCREASE WOMEN’S INCOMES AND
CONSUMPTION
Trade openness can boost women’s incomes and
consumption by lowering prices of imported goods and
increasing job opportunities. This improves their bargaining
power at home and overall empowerment. The effects
depend on gender specific consumption and income patterns
and the country’s economic context.
 How trade affects women
consumers and decision makers
TRADE AND WOMEN AS DECISION MAKERS

1.Trade provides women with income and job

opportunities, strengthening their role in family decision-
making. It increases their control over household
spending and participation in important choices.
 How trade affects women
consumers and decision makers
TRADE AND WOMEN AS DECISION MAKERS

2. Trade helps women gain more power in decision-making

by providing job opportunities and reducing the gender
wage gap. When women have independent income, they
have more control over household spending often
prioritizing goods that benefit the family.
 How trade affects women
consumers and decision makers
TRADE AND WOMEN AS DECISION MAKERS

3. When women can work independently, their ability to

make decisions within the family increases. This can lead
to delayed marriage or childbirth and greater
investment in education, particularly for girls. However,
the exact impact may vary depending on the country
and region.
 Priorities to Increase women’s
capacity to engage in international
trade
Women’s ability to benefit from international trade
depends on more than just trade policies, investments
in education, healthcare, and infrastructure are
essential for their participation as workers and traders.
Stable economies and fair labor markets also supports
trade development.
 Priorities to Increase women’s
capacity to engage in international
trade
Sociocultural changes are needed to help women fully engage
in trade. Legal and social barriers, such as restrictions on
opening bank accounts or running businesses, push women
into the informal sector, reducing their job security and access
to resources. Targeted policies can help women overcome
these barriers and maximize trade benefits.
 Collective efforts to promote
women’s economic empowerment

Governments, organizations, and businesses are

integrating gender perspectives into trade to
support women’s economic empowerment. This
shift is driven by advocacy from women’s group
and highlights the need for inclusive economic
growth.
Gender and
Migration
 Cross border mobility and International
migration has become one of the recognised
features in the contemporary social and
economic life in the world.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Although migration may be a source of opportunities and
advantages for individuals, especially to improve their
standards of living and help support their families,
migration may also be a way to expose individuals to
disadvantages and risks. Since their legal status in the host
country is uncertain, this might subject them to abusive
working environment, inequalities, gender and racial
discrimination. As well as oppression, violation of humans
rights and even health risks.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender and Migration
Why is it important to analyse migration and migratory
processes based on gender?

Gender differentiated movements must be given

attention as it may contribute in learning the
structure of how labour is divided based on gender
and how it influences the unfair and uneven process
of development.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Women in Migration
Atlhough both women and men occupies the
bottom status and are in charge of the lowest jobs
in the host country due to their migration status
and being a non-national citizens, when combined
with the issue of gender and inequalities, it makes
migrant women to be "triply disadvantage". As
women are mostly given unorganised & not
properly paid jobs with more work loads or even
menial jobs.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Women in Migration

Their qualifications may not be appreciated and

their skills may be set aside by working in jobs that
are below acquired skill levels, access to social
rights may be heavily constrained, and the
migrant may be subject to sexual and racial
harassment.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Women in Migration
The modes of entry of men and women tends to be
different which impacts upon their place within the
labour market andaccess to social services. In both
North America and Western Europe where ‘family
reunification’ is an important mode of entry,
migrant women often enter as wives and
dependents of men who sponsor their admission,
and they are usually less likely than men to enter
on economic and humanitarian grounds.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Women in Migration

Because women enter as "dependent spouses"

they experience difficulties in finding work and
place in the labour market. This makes them prone
to exploitive situations, limited access and
opportunities and career progression.

Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research

programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Women in Migration

However, the effects of gender

stratification do not end there. In addition, many
migrant women (regardless of their
mode of entry) do engage in paid work, but like
their native-born counterpart, immigrant
women face a gender-stratified labour market
where they frequently find themselves in
the bottom strata.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

Additionally, female care, domestic, and sex

workers currently belong to the most precarious
categories of employees. Where female migrants
often experience a devaluation of their
professional skills or
academic degrees, a process referred to as
“deskilling”.
Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

Mobile women experience deskilling more often

than do mobile men. Where women are more likely
to be overqualified for their jobs than men are for
theirs, and that women are invisible within this
category of highly skilled
migrants.

Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

Some male migrants, regardless of whether they

are citizens of the host countries or not, manage to
convert their professional skills or academic
degrees into appropriate professional positions on
the labor
markets and capital income of their countries of
arrival (Kahanec et al. 2013)
Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

In the public discourses of the receiving countries,

male migrants are often
associated with negative and sometimes
ethnicized/racialized notions of
masculinity, as reflected in such as “macho
patriarch” or
“homophobic Other”
Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
Gender in Migration

- Perceived Gender Roles

- Stereotypes
-gender biased procedures
and gender hierarchy

Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

This shows that social hierarchies and

gender stratification must be considered in
the context of migration processes and the
division of labour.

Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Gender in Migration

It is essential that we look at how men and

women move and migrate since it reflects
how societies form the division of work
based on gender and how this connects to
the unequal economic and social growth.

Amelina, A., & Lutz, H. (2018). Gender and migration. New York: Routledge.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration. Policy analysis and research
programme of the Global Commission on International Migration, 7.
 Sexual and
Reproduction Health
and Rights
 What is Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights?
Sexual and reproductive health refers to a broad
range of services that cover access to contraception,
fertility and infertility care, maternal and perinatal
health, prevention and treatment of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs), protection from sexual
and gender-based violence, and education on safe and
healthy relationships.
 Sexual and Reproductive Health and
Rights
• For too long sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have
been treated as a narrow set of siloed health issues, with little
recognition of their centrality to people's overall health and wellbeing.

• This approach is rooted in cultural and political sensitivities related to

sexuality, reproductive choice, and gender inequality.

• For all individuals to live healthy and satisfying lives and to achieve
their full potential, their SRHR must be fulfilled and respected.
 Sexual and Reproductive Health and
Rights
• SRHR have far-reaching implications for people's health and
for social and economic development.

• Unintended pregnancy, complications of pregnancy and

childbirth, unsafe abortion, gender-based violence, sexually
transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and reproductive
cancers threaten the wellbeing of women, men, and families.
 Section 1: Defining Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights
• The global health and human rights communities have worked for decades to
define and advance SRHR, encountering both advances and setbacks.

• The first global agreement that created a common language was the
Programme of Action of the ICPD.

• It defined reproductive health and listed the elements of reproductive health

care—ie, family planning, maternal health care, safe abortion where not against
the law, education on sexuality and reproductive health, and prevention and
appropriate treatment of infertility, reproductive tract infections, and
sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
 Panel 1: Principles of human rights as
applied to sexual and reproductive health

The right to sexual and reproductive health is an integral part

of the 'right to the highest attainable standard of physical and
mental health,' enshrined in article 12 of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights."

"As with the right to health, the right to sexual and

reproductive health entails both freedoms and entitlements."
 Panel 1: Principles of human rights as applied
to sexual and reproductive health

"The freedoms include the right of individuals to make free and

responsible decisions and choices concerning their bodies and
their sexual and reproductive health."

"The entitlements include unimpeded access to a range of

health facilities, goods, services, and information that enable
people to fulfil the right to sexual and reproductive health."
 SEXUAL HEALTH

sexual health is a state of physical, emotional,

mental and social well-being in relation to
sexuality. It is not merely the absence of disease,
dysfunction or infirmity
Sexual rights
have their bodily integrity respected
choose their sexual partner
The Right to Privacy
Reproductive Health Rights
access safe, effective, affordable, and acceptable methods of
contraception of their choice
access appropriate health-care services to ensure safe and healthy
pregnancy and childbirth, and healthy infants
access safe abortion services, including post-abortion care
Sexual and reproductive Health Rights
decide whether and when to be sexually active
choose their sexual partners
have safe and pleasurable sexual experiences
decide whether, when, and whom to marry
decide whether, when, and by what means to have a child or
children, and how many children to have;
 Gender and
Environment
 Despite the belated acceptance for the need for gender
equality in climate change negotiations and strategies by
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) women continuously suffer inequality
in decision-making.
 A gender gap disparity in treatment or
situation between women and men, often rooted
in social, cultural and legal norms and customs.
 Its create barriers to effective sustainable development
and livelihoods by limiting or restricting women’s
access to resources and decision-making opportunities.
UNEQUAL AND INSECURE
RIGHTS OVER LAND
UNEQUAL AND INSECURE RIGHTS OVER LAND

Women make up only 13.8% of landholders

globally, often facing social barriers in all
aspects of land rights.
UNEQUAL AND INSECURE RIGHTS OVER LAND

Unequal and insecure land rights are a huge

barrier for women in participating in or leading
sustainable management efforts.
UNEQUAL AND INSECURE RIGHTS OVER LAND

Traditional and cultural norms dictating who

is capable of managing land, which can restrict
women’s access to land even in countries where
they have rights over it.
 UNDERREPRESENTATION IN
NATURAL RESOURCE DECISION
MAKING AND LEADERSHIP
 UNDERREPRESENTATION IN NATURAL
RESOURCE DECISION MAKING AND LEADERSHIP

Women make up less than 25% of all

national parliamentarians around the world and
hold only 12% of top ministerial positions in
environmentrelated sectors worldwide.
 UNDERREPRESENTATION IN NATURAL
RESOURCE DECISION MAKING AND LEADERSHIP

In natural resources and ecosystem

management, women’s needs, priorities and
knowledge are often ignored or overlooked,
impacting their empowerment and agency and
undermining the effectiveness of sustainable
management solutions.
Gender and
Technology
One fundamental way in which gender is
expressed in any society is through
technology.
Technical skills and domains of expertise
are divided between and within the
sexes, shaping masculinities and
femininities.
In the contemporary world, or at any rate
in the Western nations, technology is
firmly coded male.
Men are viewed as having a natural
affinity with technology, whereas women
supposedly fear or dislike it.
Some feminists condemned all
technology as intrinsically
oppressive of women; others
perpetuated stereotypes of women
as inherently nurturing.
 Gender and Technology
The association of progress and power with
Northern-designed technology was
reproduced in Southern communities, where
men were quick to see the advantages of
controlling new technology.
 Gender and Technology
The change from using indigenous
technologies to those designed in the North
meant a challenge to the gender division of
labour, and in some cases to women losing
control of both technological processes and the
end product.
As the technology evolved, the role of
women changed. They ceased to be
operators and became merely users of
the technology.
This was observed in all cases but was
more vivid where mechanisation was
introduced.
The valuable technological skills and
knowledge which women do possess
often gone unrecognised and unvalued.
In her article, Rachel Humphreys
discusses the various ways in which the
skills that women in northern Thailand
traditionally employ in weaving are
undervalued.
 Gender and Technology
Industrialist exploit these skills in factory
assembly lines, while NGO's promote
women's traditional craft work as an
alternative to urban migration, at the same
time perpetuating gender stereotypes of
'good women' who stay at home and weave.
 Gender and Technology
In her article, Maggie Foster points out that a
first step for organisations which wish to
ensure that in future women gain access to
truly appropriate technologies is to reject
such stereotypes, and recognize women's
role as existing and potential innovators of
technology.
Thank You!