manual: women workers' rights and gender equality - International ...

Briefing Note 2 Gender Equality 16
What is Gender Equality and why is it important for a better quality of life?
• Equality between women and men, or gender equality refers to the equal rights,
responsibilities and opportunities of men and women, girls and boys. Gender equality is not a
“women’s issue”, it concerns men as well.
• Equality in rights means that women and men have the same rights as human beings and
workers: All people have a right to fulfil their basic needs, to be treated with respect, not to be
exposed to violence in whatever form and to be given chances to development.
• Equality in responsibilities and opportunities does not mean that women and men need to
become the same, but that the division of labour and distribution of resources, benefits and
decision making power is fair and just, i.e. women’s and men’s responsibilities and
opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Example of inequality:
if two persons are equally hungry, giving one enough food to still the hunger and the other only
half of the portion.
• Lessons from experience indicate that women and men both contribute to:
- Economic growth
- Human development
• However, worldwide the experience is that there are inequalities:
- Women share a major proportion of work but their work is invisible and less rewarded
- Women’s workload is larger
- Women have less access to education and training
- Women are under-represented in leadership and management
• As a result women’s views, interests and needs are often not met
• Investment in both men and women is crucial for sustainable socio-economic development. It
gives high returns in:
- Families
- Whole society
• Equality between women and men is both a human rights issue and a precondition for
sustainable people-centred, social and economic development. Thus, promotion of gender
equality is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do, because it leads to a
better quality of life for everybody. As work takes place everywhere, the ILO promotes gender
equality at work, in the community and in the house
16 Report of Workshop on Participation of Indigenous Men and Women in Development (11-13 December 2000,
Chiangmai, Thailand), Nelien Haspels, ILO/EASMAT, 2001.
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