Dismantle the barriers for women’s economic participation
Across the globe, women continue to be discriminated against economically. Women are overrepresented among the poorest and in the most unsafe and badly paid jobs and have less access to formalised property and financial resources than men. At the same time, discriminatory traditions and laws limit women’s economic participation.
Equal right to education, inheritance, property and financial services is necessary but not sufficient to change unequal economic power relations. Pay, work conditions and the right to organise independently are as important. Marriage, pregnancy and birth further limit women’s possibilities to generate income from their work; meanwhile, women continue to do most of the world’s unpaid domestic and care work.
Grave examples of foreign businessess profiting from child labour, human trafficking and forced labour in low income countries are uncovered on a regular basis. Women are particularly vulnerable for exploitation, the abuse of power and sexual harassment in work life. Over 60% of Africa’s women work in agriculture, but few own land. Thus, when land is confiscated for business purposes, women are rarely compensated, even when they are the ones working and living off the soil.
We both wanted change but lacked the direction to achieve it.
Maria Deogratuis. 42 year old farmer from Tanzania, married with seven children.
Les hele Marias historie her
I'm incredibly grateful for the positive impact this program has had on my family. It brought us back together after a very difficult period, particularly in my marriage. My husband used to take all the earnings from our farm harvests and leave without contributing to the household. This made caring for our children extremely challenging. When I confronted him, he would become angry and sometimes violent.
A turning point came when we both attended the educational programs. I could sense it resonated with my husband; we talked about it as soon as we got home. I told him we couldn't continue living this way, filled with pain and hopelessness.
The program was instrumental in helping us. We both wanted change but lacked the direction to achieve it. We attended more classes and received visits from a community activist. This support instilled confidence in us to work together. My husband started consulting me on various matters, and I offered him guidance and assistance whenever needed. Soon after, we began visiting sugarcane farms, seeking new opportunities. Previously, we had only grown cotton with limited success. Deciding to cultivate both crops proved to be a financially sound decision; the sugarcane yielded significant profits.
The income from sugarcane cultivation helped us build our house. We diligently saved a portion of our earnings towards this goal.
Later, I sought additional ways to improve our family's life. Through the program, we learned about support groups. I joined forces with ten other women to form a financial support group. Each month, we contributed money that I used to purchase essential household items like cookware. The other women used the funds for bricks and cement to complete their houses.
Today, I can confidently say that my life is better. My children are growing up in a positive environment and have the opportunity to attend school. Additionally, child marriages are becoming less prevalent as families prioritize educating their daughters, not just their sons.
Quick facts
104 of 189 countries have at least one law that discriminates against women economically.
Women earn 23 percent less than men and do 75% of the world’s informal and unpaid work.
If women were able to participate in work life equally with men, the world’s gross national product would increase by 25 percent.
