TOPIC- Inequality and Poverty

NAME- Maira Setia

RESEARCH QUESTION- Does gender based inequality in the employment sector perpetuate
cycles of poverty?

“The gender wage gap is estimated to be 20 per cent. This means that women
earn 80 per cent of what men earn” (UN women)

Economic inequality, rooted in gender, is a global issue affecting economies, societies, and
individuals. Women face barriers such as discriminatory hiring practices, unequal pay, and
limited access to leadership roles. These disparities stifle individual economic empowerment
and undermine the potential of entire communities and nations. Despite differing perspectives, a
common understanding emerges: gender-based employment inequality is a global challenge
with far-reaching consequences. Feminist analyses highlight the structural roots of inequality,
while economic viewpoints frame it as a market inefficiency.gender-based employment
inequality is a global challenge with far-reaching consequences like- 1)Unfair wage
2)greater burdens of unpaid work which are caused by: 1)lack of education about fair pay- in
areas that are less developed and less globalized. 2)generational bias.
Recognizing this, efforts to address the issue must transcend borders and encompass a range
of strategies, from legislative reforms to cultural shifts, aimed at dismantling barriers, promoting
equity, and breaking the cycle of poverty for generations to come.

PERSPECTIVES

Global perspective- Globally, the gender gap in labour force participation has hovered at 30 per
cent since 1990, with men's participation at around 80 per cent and women's at 50 per cent.
Labour force participation rates for women aged 25-54 in 2022 was 61.4 per cent compared to
90.6 per cent for men.
As part of UN Women’s comprehensive approach, we also work with partners to enhance data
collection and analysis to provide a better understanding of the nature, magnitude, and
consequences of violence against women and girls. Data collection and analysis also helps UN
Women, and our partners understand what works and doesn’t work to address this violence.

National perspective (ministry of women)- India's performance in the Global Gender Gap Index
Report 2020 has slightly improved from 0.665 in 2018 to 0.668 in 2020, according to the World
Economic Forum. The country scored 0.354 in economic participation and opportunity, 0.962 in
educational attainment, 0.944 in health and survival, and 0.411 in political empowerment. The
government has implemented initiatives to address the gender gap, including the National
Curriculum Framework and the Gender Budget. Along with initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao (BBBP) ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
○ Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill
development and employment.
○ Working Women Hostel (WWH) ensures the safety and security for working women.
○ Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims to empower girls in the age group 11-18 and to
improve their social status through nutrition, life skills, home skills and vocational
training
Personal perspective-In my journey through researching on this topic, after reading heaps of
articles finally light was shone on my topic which made me even more close to it. It made me
understand society better and how each and every one of 7.95 billion people have a different
perspective and even more different experiences.

COURSE OF ACTION-
● Following USAID worldwide who has done significant work in promoting agriculture,
education, and reproductive health to help lift women and girls out of poverty.
● Conducting qualitative data in order to identify the root cause.
● Creating policies and following up on them to ensure that it is conducted efficiently on a
regular basis.
● Mentoring women from regions where least globalisation is impacted to make them more
aware of their surroundings.

SOURCE EVALUATION- For my first source i chose an article written two authors which in my
perspective was bias and more of a personal perspective, therefore i ensured that my research
is at least cited by 70 people which made it comparatively more verifiable and used majority of
articles by un and researchgate. By exploring such sources i came across a lot of articles like
studies such as those conducted by economists Claudia Goldin and Francine Blau underscore
how occupational segregation, wage differentials, and limited access to employment
opportunities for women contribute to persistent poverty traps which gave a better personal
related perspective which aligned to my thought process.

BIBLIOGRAPHY-
https://repositorio.cepal.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/ce219350-fb46-42b1-b923-7ccf8d3bdad9/
content
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gregory-Hundley/publication/24096285_Why_Women_Ear
n_Less_than_Men_in_Self-Employment/links/5674f2da08ae0ad265ba7fa2/Why-Women-Earn-L
ess-than-Men-in-Self-Employment.pdf
https://africa.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/gpg_regional_un_women_final.pdf
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2000712#:~:text=The%20industry%20pledge
%20aimed%20at,their%20work%20and%20caregiving%20responsibilities.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1707475

https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment/facts-and-figures#:~:text=Ge
nder%20inequalities%20in%20employment%20and,26.5%20per%20cent%2C%20respectively)

file:///C:/Users/Dell/Downloads/WhyWomenEarnLess.pdffile:///C:/Users/Dell/Downloads/Evers_
Sieverding_PsychologyofWomenQuarterly_2014.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Dell/Downloads/be_gendergap.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Dell/Downloads/GenderandPoverty.pdf
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