G20 china_web

Structural reform and SMEs
All members need policies to reduce
the strain of caregiving on women
Short- and medium-term targets need
to be clarified at the 2016 G20 summit
ECONOMIC EQUALITY
£1.2BN
Increase in education and childcare
spending in the UK
80%
The 2015 G20 interim compliance rate
in reducing the workforce gender gap
30%
Quota for female representation on
company boards in Germany
all issues since 2008. Members that scored
full compliance with the Brisbane gender
gap commitment made investments in
affordable childcare programmes. The
United Kingdom, a full complier in the first
year, announced a £1.2 billion increase in
education and childcare spending to help
balance the responsibility of caregiving.
Germany, another full complier,
implemented a quota system to ensure 30
per cent female representation on company
boards. Japan complied fully by increasing
access to finance and business training
for female entrepreneurs and working to
increase the number of women in science
and engineering.
In 2015, at their summit in Antalya,
Turkey, G20 leaders promised to continue
monitoring the implementation of their goal
to reduce the gender participation gap. After
an additional eight months of monitoring,
G20 members scored 80 per cent, a
significant increase from the previous
year’s score. Those members that received
full compliance initiated policies that help
relieve the strain of caregiving on one’s job.
Canada provided resources for employers to
create more caregiver-friendly workplaces.
Japan released a report on the treatment of
women in the workplace that found that 35
per cent of women in full-time employment
had been sexually harassed.
It did not, however, indicate how it
planned to respond. The United States
unveiled a new policy that requires
companies with more than 100 employees
to provide annual data on employee wages
by gender, race and ethnicity.
Committing to change
The 2014 Brisbane commitment has led
to some important progress in reducing
the gender gap in employment, and the
reiteration in 2015 has continued to hold
members accountable. But there is no
evidence of a comprehensive strategy by
G20 members to meet this goal by 2025, as
required and deserved.
All members need policies to reduce the
burden of caregiving on women, such as
extending maternity leave, offering equal
amounts of parental leave, and expanding
affordable childcare and eldercare
options. The G20 should also target
specific industries to encourage female
participation, as the G7 did with science,
technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM), not only to get more women into
the workforce but also to get them out of the
precarious, low-paying jobs in which they
are disproportionately found.
For many G20 members, there is
much to be done to end gender stereotypes
and discrimination.
Without putting an end to gendered
social norms that confine women to
traditional roles, gender parity in labour
force participation cannot be reached.
Policies to end workplace violence and
harassment are also needed for female
economic empowerment.
When G20 leaders meet in Hangzhou
on 4–5 September 2016 they should
reiterate their commitment to meeting this
goal. Such a statement should increase
compliance. The leaders should also
make clear their action plans on how
they propose to meet the commitment of
reducing the gender gap in the workforce
by 25 per cent by 2025, and lay out their
short- and medium-term targets. Sustained
momentum for encouraging female
economic empowerment is essential for
G20 success. G20
Julia Kulik
Co-director of Research
G20 Research Group
Julia Kulik is based at the Munk
School of Global Affairs at Trinity
College in the University of Toronto,
where she is Co-director of Research
for the G20 Research Group, the
G7 Research Group, the BRICS
Research Group and the Global
Health Diplomacy Program. She
has written on G20, G7/8 and BRICS
performance, particularly on the
issues of gender equality and
regional security. Kulik leads the
groups’ work on gender, women’s
health, regional security and summit
performance.
@JuliaFKulik
www.g20.utoronto.ca
G7G20.com September 2016 • G20 China: The Hangzhou Summit 119