Inequality between men and women is costing the world billions a year in lost economic growth that justifies a global initiative to force governments to address the problem, new research shows.
Ground-breaking research by economists at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that governments should use economic policy to reduce gender inequalities and shun (afvise) austere measures that would widen the gap.
Countries should use their annual budgets to ensure that public money is spent in ways that reduce the gender gap, and to back up their rhetoric with action.
The report, which is not endorsed by the IMF, suggests that the Fund itself could use its surveillance of its 184 members to encourage governments to take into account the benefits of reducing the gender gap and of removing “arbitrary (vilkårlig) discrimination”.
The report comes a week ahead of the launch of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007) that will highlight the lack of representation of women at all levels of one of the worlds richest societies.
A survey of more than 40 rich and poor countries found that gender divides reduced economic growth while economic growth tends to narrow the gap between the sexes.
On one level, women with the power over a households resources tend to devote more to fostering their childrens potential that has knock-on – but unrewarded – benefits to society as a whole. Women also have a greater tendency to invest savings in more productive ways and keep up the repayments on loans better, both of which have wider economic benefits.
The survey also found that women were more supportive of collective insurance and redistributive spending and larger government – although the author of the report, Janet Stotsky, admits it is open to debate whether that is a laudable outcome.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
