Two new reports, released recently, analyse the impacts of labour and debt  to women. What are the issues and findings they flagged?

As most of the countries yearly celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1 to commemorate the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, two timely publications were recently released—analysing the impacts of labour and debt to women.

“Global Employment Trends for Women Brief 2007”

Published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the “Global Employment Trends for Women Brief 2007” examines whether women have found enough decent and productive jobs to really enable them to use their potential in the labour market and achieve economic independence.

According to the report, the number of women participating in labour markets—either in work or looking actively for work—is at its highest point in 2006 as nearly half of the world’s workers are women. However, more women than ever before are either unemployed, stuck in low productivity jobs in agriculture and services, or receiving less money for doing the same jobs as men. Furthermore, the report revealed that even though young women are more likely to be able to read and write than 10 years ago, access to basic education and higher education levels are still far from equal in most regions. About 60% of school drop-outs are girls, as they often have to leave school to help in their households or get jobs to augment the family income. The study also underscores how preventing girls from finishing even basic education hinders their chances to determine their own future.

The report’s full text is available at <http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/download/getw07.pdf>.

“Debt and Women”

Jubilee Debt Campaign, together with ActionAid, Oxfam, and Womankind Worldwide, has released a new publication, “Debt and Women,” which explores the impacts of debt and debt cancellation on women.

According to the report, “Poor countries around the world are crippled by the debts they have to pay to rich countries; the impact on women and girls is particularly brutal. These debts worsen poverty by forcing poor countries to give money to the rich...When debt payments drain the poorest countries of resources, there is less funding for basic services...It is women and girls who enable families and communities to weather the crisis, by taking over responsibility to provide the resources and services which the government cannot provide.”

For the full paper, go to <http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/debt_aid/downloads/jubilee_debt_women.pdf>.

Source:
“ILO study warns on the feminization of working poverty” from International Labour Organisation, posted on March 7, 2007, <http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2007/6.htm>.