Directory of UN Resources on Gender and Women's Issues
Thematic Issues and Critical Areas of Concern > Critical Areas of Concern >
Women and the Economy
There are considerable differences in women's and men's access to and opportunities to exert power over economic structures in their societies. In most parts of the world, women are virtually absent from or are poorly represented in economic decision-making, including the formulation of financial, monetary, commercial and other economic policies, as well s tax systems and rules governing pay.
2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development: Women's control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance.
[ www.un.org ]
Languages: English
The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development is the flagship publication of the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women. It is presented to the Second Committee of the General Assembly at five-yearly intervals. The 1999 World Survey focused on globalization, gender and work and the 2004 World Survey addressed women and international migration. The General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to update the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development for the consideration of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session; noting that the survey should continue to focus on selective emerging development themes that have an impact on the role of women in the economy at the national, regional and international levels. The theme for the World Survey in 2009 is “Women’s control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance”.
DAW, 2009
Excerpt from the Press Conference on the Launch of the 2009 World Survey, 26 October 2009, UN Headquarters:
The gender perspectives of the financial crisis
[ www.un.org ]
Languages: English
The emerging issue on “The gender perspectives of the financial crisis” was considered at an
interactive expert panel at the Fifty-Third Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
(CSW) in March 2009. The website of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
contains the papers and presentations, as well as an issues paper and information on the
panelists. DAW, 2009
UNESCO Future Forum: The Potential Impact of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis on
Women and Gender Equality
[ portal.unesco.org ]
Languages: English
The UNESCO Future Forum was held on 2 March 2009 at UNESCO Headquarters to reflect on the
ramifications of the present financial and economic crisis and their implications for
international cooperation in general and in particular for UNESCO’s domains, namely
education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO, 2009
Expert meeting on mainstreaming gender in trade policy (10 - 11 March 2009)
[ www.unctad.org ]
Languages: English
The meeting addressed three main issues: the relation between trade and gender; the impact of trade policy on gender through labour markets, SMEs, agriculture and migration; and how to advance mainstreaming gender in trade policy from theory to practice. The report of the meeting, as wells as papers and presentations are available online. UNCTAD, 2009
Trade Liberalisation and Women
[ www.unifem.org ]
Languages: English
These web pages on Trade Liberalization and Women are part of UNIFEM's programme on Women and International Trade. The aim is to bring together relevant data on trade issues and their gender-differentiated impact on women.
Gender and Food Security - Fisheries
[ www.fao.org ]
Languages: English
Overview of women in fisheries with links to successful programmes, lessons learned and technology advancements
Development Gateway: Gender and Development
[ topics.developmentgateway.org ]
Languages: English | French | Spanish
The Development Gateway's Gender and Development topic area is envisioned as a common platform for gender and development related resources, information, and dialogue.
Gender and Food Security - Agriculture
[ www.fao.org ]
Languages: English
Both women and men play critical roles in agriculture throughout the world, producing, processing and providing the food we eat. Rural women in particular are responsible for half of the world's food production and produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in most developing countries. Yet, despite their contribution to global food security, women farmers are frequently underestimated and overlooked in development strategies.
UNIFEM Promoting Women's Economic Security and Rights
[ www.unifem.org ]
Languages: English
This section covers UNIFEM's activities to promote women's economic security and rights and contribute to the eradication of feminized poverty. It contants informaiton on gender and macroeconomics, gender and trade and gender budgets.
The Gender Dimensions of Post-Conflict Reconstruction
[ www.wider.unu.edu ]
Languages: English
Subtitled "The Challenges in Development Aid", this research paper recommends that post-conflict reconstruction projects systematically address gender issues and promote gender equality to make peace work. UNU, 2006
The Story Behind the Numbers: Women and Employment in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Commonwealth of Independent States (UNIFEM 2006)
[ www.unifem.org ]
Languages: English
This report examines women's labour market situation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Western Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the context of the social and economic transformations in the region in the past 15 years. It analyses trends in women's and men's labour force participation during the transition to a market-oriented economy and assesses their implications for the economic security of both women and men. UNIFEM, 2006
Online Discussion: Women and the Economy
[ www.un.org ]
Languages: English
From October 2004 to January 2005, WomenWatch hosted a series of online discussions on the Platform's critical areas of concern and other important issues to provide input into the review and appraisal of the Bejing Declaration and Platform for Action. All postings and background notes are available for reading as archived online discussion.
