The gender gap in economic participation can be measured through the difference in numbers between men and women participating in the labour workforce. In the world currently, 82% of men participate in the labour workforce while only 56% of women do. It is estimated that if women participated in the workforce identically to men, the annual gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 could increase as much as 26%; closing the gender gap by allowing more women to participate in the workforce is critical for long-term economic benefits. However, several factors hold women back from economic participation for several reasons, such as social norms, discriminatory laws, and gaps in legal protection. Therefore, it is crucial for governments to enforce laws …show more content…
I will discuss of the effectiveness of these actions taken by the governments to reduce the gender gap in economic participation.
As long as the government is involved, the gender gap in economic participation can be easily reduced if the government implements laws and policies to empower and promote women’s economic interests. When the government addresses stigmas in the society through legislations, they will carry out plans and programmes in order to provide support for women. These improve the development capacity of women and brings more benefits to them as a group. This will encourage more women to join and participate actively in the workforce, and as a result, reduce the gender gap in economic
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When traditional mindsets are prevalent in society, even if advancements are being made to try to engage women to join the workforce, society will continue to force traditional gender roles onto both men and women. This places burden on women who are pressured to both meet cultural expectations as well as progress in their careers. This inhibits women from participating actively in the workforce, thus the gender gap in economic participation will not be