From promises to action:
Addressing discriminatory social
institutions to accelerate genderequality in G20 countries

Report prepared by the OECD Development Centre
for the W20 Japanese presidency

3

Table of contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5
Setting up indicators and monitoring progress ..................................................... 6
Where do we stand? Main progress and challenges for the way forward ........... 7
Moving forward: recommended actions ............................................................... 21
References ............................................................................................................... 25© OECD 20195

About this report
This report was prepared by the OECD Development Centre at the request of W20 Japanesepresidency. It analyses progress made and remaining challenges across the ambitious W20 genderequality objectives, by adopting a “Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI1) lens” which takes
discriminatory social institutions (laws, norms and practices) into account.
Building on the SIGI approach and data, the first part of the report provides an assessment of progress
while identifying the main challenges and a set of proposed indicators for three of the four W20 pillars 2(labour equity, financial equity and governance) to monitor countries’ paths towards the achievement of
W20 targets across all G20 countries. It concludes by proposing policy recommendations for the next
W20 presidency. The second part of the report provides country profiles for G20 members3 whichhighlight the main legal and social norms challenges for each country and offer examples of goodpractices, as well as contextualised policy recommendations. For each country, data and information
are based on the SIGI country profiles, the Gender, Institutions and Development Database (GID-DB),
as well as most recent OECD and external sources found for the three pillars.

Introduction
In their December 2018 declaration “Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development”, G20
leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and emphasised a gender mainstreaming strategy across the G20 agenda (G20, 2018). As
G20 countries represent two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global gross domestic product andover 75% of global trade, their commitment is essential if progress is to be made globally on the SDGs.
For example, India alone represents 28.5% of the total achievement gap on SDG 5 on Gender Equality(Sachs, J. et al., 2019). Indeed, as reflected in the Osaka Summit G20 leaders’ communiqué in June 2019,gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central to achieve sustainable economic growth, while
leaders undertook commitments to take further action to “end all forms of discrimination against womenand combat stereotypes” (G20, 2019).
The Women 20 (“W20”) under the G20 Japanese presidency has set a concrete and ambitious strategy
for G20 countries to achieve gender equality by “Closing the Gender Gap for New Prosperity”. In line with
Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, the W20 recognised that women’s economic empowerment also requires
women’s social advancement. This includes taking into consideration women in all their diversity, as
women and girls are not a homogenous group. They have different interests and constraints based on theireducation level, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion/belief, economic status
or place of residence. While the main objective of the W20 under the Japanese presidency was to advancethe G20’s 25x25 target (to decrease the gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2025), it has
proposed that this focus be extended to four pillars: labour equity, financial equity, digital equity andgovernance.
1 The Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) is the OECD Development Centre’s cross-country measure of

discrimination against women in social institutions (formal and informal laws, social norms and practices) across 180
countries.
2
Due to unavailability of data on laws, social norms and practices related to digital equity for most of the G20 countries,
this report does not cover the digital equity pillar.
3
The report does not include a country profile on European Union.

© OECD 20196

Yet, progress to date has been slow in these areas while too little emphasis has been placed on the rolesocial norms and legal frameworks play across the pillars proposed by the W20. As highlighted by theOECD Development Centre’s SIGI 2019 Global Report, no SDGs can be achieved without attention tosocial institutions, i.e. laws, social norms and practices. At the current rate of progress, it will take 200 years
or 9 generations to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality. An approach which considers social norms has
potential to accelerate progress across the four pillars set out by the W20.
Indeed, social institutions related to gender define what is legally and socially feasible for women and men
to do, and can act either as barriers or agents of change. As such, they determine outcomes for womenand girls in areas as diverse as education, employment, governance and finance. Standard policies andreforms will only have limited traction unless cultural, social and religious norms are taken into account.
Indeed, the statutory legal system can be thwarted by parallel structures embedded in society. In otherwords, where customary laws and social norms still largely determine communities’ and individuals’
behaviours, standard policies to promote gender equality are insufficient to create the necessary socialtransformation.

Setting up indicators and monitoring progress
The OECD has a long track record in monitoring progress on gender equality. In 2013, all OECD member
countries signed the official OECD Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Education,
Employment, and Entrepreneurship (2013 OECD Recommendation),4 and in 2015 countries signed theOECD Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Public Life (2015 OECD Recommendation).5
These Recommendations have provided the foundation for how the OECD evaluates progress on genderequality in its Member and Key Partner Countries, and in 2017 a full report assessing progress wasdelivered to the OECD Council and released to the public (OECD, 2017b; OECD, 2017c). More recently,
the OECD, together with the ILO, has prepared a progress report for the Japanese G20 presidency on
women’s participation in the labour force of the G20 (OECD/ILO, 2019).
The SIGI, which is used as the framework for this G20 assessment, is an official data source for monitoring
SDG target 5.1 (End all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere) using SDG
Indicator 5.1.1 (“Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality
and non-discrimination on the basis of sex”).6
Based on the SIGI, the OECD Development Centre has designed a set of proposed indicators for three ofthe four W20 pillars to monitor countries’ paths towards the achievement of W20 targets (although the listof these indicators is not exhaustive). This report does not cover the digital equity pillar as information onlaws, social norms and practices related to digital equity are unfortunately not available for most of the G20
countries. Proposed indicators for the other three pillars – labour equity, financial equity and governance– are composed by four sub-indicators monitoring (i) reduced gender gaps in outcomes, (ii) evolution of
the legal framework, (iii) changes in social norms and attitudes, and (iv) shifts in discriminatory social
practices (see Table 1).

4

OECD Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship:
www.oecd.org/els/2013-oecd-recommendation-of-the-council-on-gender-equality-in-education-employment-andentrepreneurship-9789264279391-en.htm.
5OECD Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Public Life: www.oecd.org/gov/2015-oecdrecommendation-of-the-council-on-gender-equality-in-public-life-9789264252820-en.htm.
6 UN Women, the World Bank Group and the OECD Development Centre are co-custodian agencies for monitoring
SDG Indicator 5.1.1.

© OECD 20197

Table 1. Selected W20 indicators
Sub-indicators
OutcomeLabour equity
Gender gaps inlabour force
participation

Financial equity
Gender gaps in accessto financial productand services

Legal framework(Set of laws
internationallydefined as minimum
standards to …)
Social norm

Protect women’s
workplace rights
and provide
incentives for
women to work
Social expectations
on women’s role in
the household andthe economy
Time spent on paid
and unpaid care
work

Protect women’s
access to financial
products and services
and enhance women’s
financial inclusion
Attitudes towards
women’s role infinancial decisionmaking
Formal financial
institutions’discriminatory
practices towards
women7

Social practice

Governance
Gender gaps in the share ofseats in parliaments andcorporate leadership including
management and boards
Protect women’s politicalrights and enhance theirrepresentation in both private
sectors’ governing boards andlocal/national governments
Attitudes towards women’s
political and managerial
leadership
Barriers and trends inwomen’s political and private
sector leadership

Note: the list of indicators shown here is not intended to be exhaustive

While the above W20 indicators provide a broad picture on the level of achievement of each of the three
W20 pillars, the four sub-indicators identify potential bottlenecks. Indeed, identifying which social norms
and practices reinforce legal discrimination or weaken the implementation of legal reforms provides an
overview of where challenges remain and what further actions are needed.
Looking at both the de jure and de facto discrimination reflects how political commitments have beentranslated into legal reforms, and to what extent gender-responsive policies and programmes haveensured the enforcement of those legal reforms and reduced discrimination on the ground. It is in light ofthis framework that this report analyses progress and challenges in the G20 countries across the ambitious
W20 gender equality objectives.

Where do we stand? Main progress and challenges for the way forward
This section provides an overview of the progress and challenges made in all G20 countries across threepillars: labour equity, financial equity and governance. The following sections take stock of where we are,using various indicators and providing a narrative explanation for the underlying dynamics of thehighlighted inequalities. Each section concludes with areas of progress and remaining challenges when it
comes to legal frameworks, social norms and practices in all of the G20 countries. A list of recommended
actions for the W20 is included in the last part of the report.

Labour equity
One of the main objectives of the W20 under the Japanese presidency is to advance the G20’s 25x25
target – to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2025 compared to 2012 – agreed
at the 2014 Summit in Brisbane. In 2018, further progress occurred in most G20 countries towards
achieving the 25x25 target, but gender gaps in labour force participation still remain substantial in some
7 Formal financial institutions include banks, credit unions, microfinance institutions, post offices and other bodies which offer

deposit, checking and saving accounts and are regulated by a governmental body; an example of discrimination at a formal
financial institution may be a requirement for a husband’s or guardian’s agreement when opening a bank account.

© OECD 2019

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countries (OECD/ILO, 2019). The gender pay gap is still important in most G20 countries, particularly
across low-paid jobs, managerial positions and part-time work (OECD/ILO, 2019).
In addition, the W20’s “Menu of Action”8 aims to “remove systemic legal and social barriers in the labour
market and provide solutions for achieving gender equality.” The SIGI highlights the importance of a strong
legal framework that does not discriminate against women in the workplace, as well as the negative impactthat traditional social norms and practices, for example those related to gender roles in the household, has
on women’s active participation in the labour market.
The report’s analysis on the labour equity pillar highlights progress made as well as the persistence ofgender inequalities in the labour market in G20 economies, especially with regards to the legal frameworks,
social norms and practices that discriminate against women.

Where are we?
Women continue to participate less than men in the workforce across all G20 countries. In 2018, the averagelabour force participation rate of women of the G20 was 59%,9 representing a gap of 21 percentage-points
compared to that of men (80%10). At the country-level, the gaps are highly varied and range from approximately
seven percentage-points in Canada to 57 percentage-points in Saudi Arabia (see Figure 1). Between 2012 and2018, all countries, with the exception of India and Mexico, have increased their female labour force participation
rates, with the most progress taking place in Japan where women’s participation increased from 63% in 2012
to 71% in 2018, followed by Turkey (from 32% to 38%) (OECD/ILO, 2019). With regards to the 25x25 target,
between 2012 and 2018, the gender gap in labour force participation rate decreased in all G20 countries, except
in the Russian Federation (hereafter Russia) (OECD/ILO, 2019). About half of the G20 members are on track
to meet the 2025 goal, notably in Japan, Argentina, Brazil and Korea with large reduction. However, achieving
the goal remains challenging in some countries including Mexico and Saudi Arabia (see Figure 2). Continued
efforts are therefore needed for all G20 countries to achieve the target by 2025.

Figure 1. Women’s participation in the labour force is less than that of men in all G20 countries, 2018
FemaleMale

Labour force participation rate (%)
90
80

70
60
50
40
30
20

Note: Share of the population aged 15-64 participating in the labour force. The figure includes the most recent data available (2018) for all of
the G20 countries with the exception of China for which data is dated 2012 (*).
Source: OECD, and ILO (2019), Women at Work in the G20 countries: progress and policy actions since 2018,www.oecd.org/g20/summits/osaka/G20-Women-at-Work.pdf.

8 W20’s Menu of Action: https://w20japan.org/pdf/W20_MoA.pdf.
9 Calculation does not include China for which 2018 data is not available.
10 Calculation does not include China for which 2018 data is not available.

© OECD 20199

Gender segregation in the labour force both in terms of positions as well as sectors contributes to gender
pay gaps which favour men in all G20 countries (OECD, 2017b).11 For instance, the gender pay gap in
Italy stood at 6% in 2016, meaning that on average, for every Euro earned by men in Italy, women earned
94 cents. In other G20 countries however, the disparity was much larger, as in 2017 the gap was 35% in
Korea and 18% in Indonesia, Canada, and the United States (OECD/ILO, 2019).

Figure 2. Actual versus expected decline in gender gap in labour force participation, 2012-2018
Actual decline

Expected decline

Change in percentage points
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8

Note: The actual decline refers to the observed change in the gender gap between 2012 and 2018 (2015 for India). The expected decline refers
to the decline that would occur by 2018 (2015 for India) if there was a linear decline in the gender gap from 2012 onwards to reach the target ofa 25% decline in the gap by 2025. For China, no recent data are available to calculate the actual decline in the gender gap and the data for2012 have been projected to calculate the expected decline in the gender gap. The data refer to the population aged 15 and over for India and
16-64 for the United Kingdom and the United States.
Source: OECD calculations based on national labour force surveys and, for China, census data.

In addition, women are more likely to work in low-level jobs and part-time employment (OECD, 2019d). On
average, women’s part-time incidence rate is 20 percentage-points higher than for men in G20 countries. 12
For instance, in 2017, the gender gap in terms of part-time work incidence amounted to 19 percentagepoints in Canada, 32 percentage-points in the United Kingdom, and reached 36 percentage-points inGermany (OECD/ILO, 2019). Part-time work allows for a certain degree of flexibility in hours worked andmay make it easier for women to juggle their multiple responsibilities: in some cases, it represents analternative to opting out of the workforce after becoming a mother. However, part-time workers often haveless job security, lower pay, fewer opportunities for training and promotion and a higher poverty risk, thus
the incidence of part-time employment among women in the G20 remains an important concern. Finally,
an important parameter determining the quality of work is whether the part-time work is “involuntary” or“voluntary” (OECD, 2019c).
Women’s lower rate of labour force participation and overrepresentation in part-time employment are partly
explained by the share of caring and reproductive roles they perform in the household. Unpaid care work
includes raising children, caring for sick or elderly family members, managing household tasks andvolunteering in the community. This work limits the time available for paid work, education and leisure andfurther strengthens gender gaps in terms of access to resources and opportunities. Data from the OECD’s
11

Due to differences in the definition, coverage and calculation, data on gender pay gaps is not fully comparable
across all G20 countries.
12 2017 average from OECD and ILO, 2019. This figure excludes China, as data from 2017 is unavailable.

© OECD 2019

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Gender, Institutions and Development Database (OECD, 2019b) indicates that in all G20 countries, 13
women spend more time doing domestic and care-related tasks than men (see Figure 3). This ranges fromone and a half times more in Canada, Germany and the United States, to nine times more in India.

Figure 3. In the G20 women spend more time than men on unpaid care work, 2019
Women

Men

Female-to-male ratio

Time (hours)
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Female-to-male ratio
12
10
8
6
4
2

0

Note: Data for Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia are not included.
Source: OECD (2019), Gender, Institutions and Development Database, https://oe.cd/ds/GIDDB2019.

Social norms influence this dynamic, and they vary throughout the G20. For example, in 2019, in Indonesia,
32% of the population disagreed with the statement “it is perfectly acceptable for any women in their family
to have a paid job outside the home if she wants one” (OECD, 2019b). This percentage is similarly high in
India and Saudi Arabia, where 25% and 22% disagree with this statement respectively (OECD, 2019b).
On the other hand, Canada is the best performer in this respect as approximately 0% of people feel it isunacceptable for women to work outside of the home, followed by Australia, Italy, and the United States,
where only 1% do so (OECD, 2019b).
One way of addressing unpaid care work is to develop policies that not only recognise, but also reduceand redistribute household responsibilities (Elson, 2000). For example, it is important to ensure thataffordable childcare options are widely available (OECD, 2017b). G20 countries are promoting better familyleave policies and work-life balance, with many countries increasing their childcare provisions. An areathat needs to be further strengthened is ensuring care leave provisions for both women and men, andencouraging men to take more responsibility for unpaid care work, in order to help reduce women’s
responsibilities in this domain (OECD/ILO, 2019).
Social norms and workplace practices should further encourage fathers to work part-time when needed forthe well-being of the family (OECD, 2019c). An important step includes engaging men to shift attitudes(OECD, 2019c). Research shows that fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to be involved inchildcare related activities, to the benefit of child development and well-being (Huerta, M., et al., 2013). In
addition, fathers making use of their paternity leave contribute to the recognition and redistribution of
unpaid care work, promoting more gender equal roles in the family and shifting attitudes that define ‘care’as something gendered (Gaag, N. van der, et al., 2019). In line with the OECD’s 2013 Gender
Recommendation, countries increasingly recognise that fathers' participation in unpaid care andhousework is a key strategy for achieving gender equality. For example, Japan and Korea provide thelongest father-specific leaves among OECD countries (leave periods are about one year). Although taking

13 Data is unavailable for Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

© OECD 2019 11such leave for fathers is not yet the norm, Korea is encouraging more fathers to do so by providing –subject to certain conditions – 100% wage replacement up to a threshold of KRW 2 500 000 (around
USD 2 300) for three "daddy months" (OECD, 2017c; Kim, H., 2019).
Finally, in recent years, sexual harassment has gained public attention as the #MeToo movement andothers like it swept the globe. More women are coming forward to share their experiences of harassment,
which often occurs in workplaces. Despite legislative frameworks protecting women from sexual
harassment in the workplace in most G20 countries, this is sometimes not enough to ensure that it does
not happen in practice. This is the case in the United Kingdom, where one in three women haveexperienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Research shows that sexual harassment prevents
women from fulfilling their potential and sometimes leads them to prematurely exit the labour force(McLaughlin, H., et al., 2017). Some governments and government-funded bodies14 have been proactive
in collecting data about sexual harassment at work as an important preliminary step to encouraging or
mandating employers to provide trainings and informational materials to employees. There are also
campaigns in certain countries, like Australia, which aim to prevent harassment in the workplace bysensitising both employers and employees.
Legal frameworks, social norms and practices have the potential to drive or change gender-biased labour
outcomes. While there is notable progress in terms of legal frameworks and government actions to promotelabour equity across the G20, challenges remain in the form of legal loopholes and inadequate enforcementof the law which allow discriminatory social norms to continue to prevent women from fully participating in
the labour force and achieving their potential.

Main progress
Progress made towards the 25x25 target is uneven, yet there are some positive aspects which may
facilitate progress towards this target and labour equity more generally in the G20:


To date, 17 countries15 have ratified ILO Convention No. 100 on equal remuneration and No. 111
on discrimination in employment and occupation.



All G20 countries, except the United States, have adopted measures to offer paid maternity leave
schemes at the national level, and only five countries16 do not offer at least 14 weeks of paid maternity
leave to women workers. In addition, 12 countries17 pay 100% of maternity leave benefits. Of course, it
is important that countries offer paid paternity leave or fathers-reserved parental leave in tandem withmaternity leave, to help avoid the risk of discrimination against (potential) mothers at the time of hiring.

All countries protect women’s employment security when they are on maternity leave, thoughprotections vary (for example, depending on contract type).

Paid paternity leave is available in more than half of the G20 countries 18, and seven countries19
grant paid parental leave benefits.



15 countries20 provide legal protection from sexual harassment in the workplace, and various
campaigns exist to increase awareness about the issue.

14 As in Australia, France, Japan and the United Kingdom.
15 United States has not ratified ILO Convention No. 100 and No. 111. Japan has not ratified ILO Convention No. 111.
16 Argentina, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
17 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey.
18 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey andUnited Kingdom.
19 Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea Rep. and Russia.
20 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey,
United Kingdom and United States.

© OECD 2019

12 



More countries recognise unpaid care work. 15 of the G20 countries21 have indeed included timeuse surveys or have added time-use components to existing national surveys. In addition, twocountries – the United Kingdom and Mexico – have used household satellite accounts to measure
the value of care work.

Main challenges
Due to legal loopholes or inadequate enforcement of laws, women and men are still not treated in the sameway in the workplace, where women tend to face a wider range of discriminations based on their gender.
Furthermore, discriminatory social norms about working mothers and the disproportionate amount of timethat women spend on household and caring responsibilities limit their participation in the labour market(OECD, 2019a; OECD/UNDP, 2019). More substantial progress is needed in terms of actively engaging
women in the economy:

Discriminatory laws continue to curb women’s access to employment: eight countries 22 proscribe
women from entering certain professions.

With regards to women’s workplace rights during maternity leave, Italy is the only G20 country thathas ratified ILO Convention No. 183 on maternity protection.



To date, only six of the G20 countries23 have ratified ILO Convention No. 156 concerning equal
opportunities and equal treatment of men and women workers. Furthermore, 12 countries do notprohibit employers asking about a woman’s pregnancy or her intention to have children during therecruitment or promotion process.

With regards to the protection of domestic workers, Argentina, Germany, Italy and South Africa are
the only G20 countries that have ratified ILO Convention No. 189 on domestic workers.

Only seven countries24 have laws requiring equal remuneration for work of equal value and requirecompanies to report on how they pay women and men. In addition, the monetary value of labourcosts for the time spent on unpaid care and domestic work is important and should be further
recognised: among the G7 economies, it ranges from 12% of GDP in Canada to 24% in Italy25(Ven, P. van de et al., 2018). The value of unpaid care work for the national economy also remains
unrecognised in other G20 countries, although it represents a significant share of their GDP. For
instance, unpaid care work in South Africa represents 14% of GDP, and reaches 33% of GDP in
the People’s Republic of China (hereafter China) (Ferrant and Thim, 2019). This is a key challenge,
since as long as women will be carrying the bulk of unpaid care work, they will not be able to fully
participate in the labour market and realise their potential.

Three of the G20 countries26 do not have laws which clearly define sexual harassment in theworkplace; in all of the countries for which data is available, women are more likely than their malecolleagues to experience sexual harassment in the workplace.

While more statistics are available about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace,they are prone to underestimation as many women do not report it. For example, less than half ofthe estimated number of women who experienced sexual harassment at work in Germany reported
the incidents for redress.

21 Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey,

United Kingdom, United States.
22 Argentina, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
23 Argentina, Australia, France, Japan, Korea and Russia.
24 France, Germany, India, Italy, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States.
25 These estimations are based on the replacement cost method: the value imputed to time spent to unpaid care anddomestic cost is based on the average hourly wage of domestic workers.
26 Indonesia, Japan and Russia.

© OECD 2019 13

Financial equity
The W20 aims to ‘ensure financial inclusion, promote women’s entrepreneurship, and accelerate accessto investment and market’. Acknowledging and promoting women’s economic contributions are essential
to the global economy, as achieving gender parity in social institutions by 2030 could lead to a
0.4 percentage point increase in the world’s GDP growth every year until then (OECD, 2019a). The W20
recognises that women-led businesses have greater difficulty in accessing funding compared to men andbusinesses led by men, and urges G20 countries to “establish a policy framework, ecosystem, and action
plan that accelerate the development of female enterprise.”
Secure access to financial resources enables women to be equal partners at the household level and to
make autonomous decisions about whether to buy a home or a car, pursue an education, save forretirement or start a business. Furthermore, access to finance and financial services allows people tomanage and grow their funds to meet long-term goals, as well as to have resources in case of
emergencies. More efforts should also be dedicated to ensure that all groups of women, including older
women and those in rural areas have entrepreneurship opportunities. While the economy would benefit
from their life experience and self-confidence, it is also important that they are guaranteed adequate
employment and social protections (OECD/ILO, 2019).
While access to financial services, such as a bank account, is important, it does not fully address women’s
needs for financial inclusion (OECD, 2019a). Although each country’s situation varies, women are
universally disadvantaged by pay discrimination, higher rates of financial illiteracy, lack of financial
education, and a lack of assets for collaterals. This is exacerbated sometimes by discriminatory legal
frameworks that do not recognise a woman as a head of household. These are important challenges, as
financial institutions often require land title, statutory proof of identity and collateral to receive credit.
Improving women’s economic empowerment requires guaranteeing women equal access to loans, building
financial literacy and offering training opportunities that understand and address the specificities ofwomen’s individual and diverse situations. Thus, financial disadvantage may be the result of a lack ofgender-responsive policies and programmes; therefore, it is critical to address gender discrimination in thearea of finance and enable a favourable environment for women to thrive in the finance sector to unlock
their potential.
The report’s analysis of the financial equity pillar highlights progress made as well as the persistence ofgender inequalities in the labour market in G20 economies, especially with regards to the legal frameworks,
social norms and practices that discriminate against women.

Where are we?
In almost half27 of the G20 countries, more than 90% of both women and men have an account at a bankor another type of financial institution (see Figure 4). This is aided by the fact that in every G20 country thelegal frameworks provide women and men with the same rights to open a bank account and obtain credit
at a formal financial institution (OECD, 2019e). Having a bank account is associated with an increase inindividual savings, a better access to consumption and productive investments, and contributes toempowering women; however, in some countries, facilitating access to bank accounts for women and men
remains a distant goal (Deléchat et al., 2018). This is the case for Mexico, Argentina and Indonesia, wheremore than half of the population still lacks access to financial services (World Bank Findex, 2017). The
gender breakdown of this indicator reveals that in most of the G20 countries there is a higher proportion ofmen who own an account than women. In 2017, on average, 82% of men in G20 countries had access toa bank account compared to only 78% for women, representing a gap of four percentage-points.28 Turkey
had the widest gap in 2017 at 29%, whereas Canada, Germany, Korea and Japan reached parity. On the
27 Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, United States.
28 The calculation of the averages excludes the European Union.

© OECD 201914 other hand, in Argentina, Indonesia, South Africa and Russia, women were more likely than men to own
an account (World Bank Findex, 2017).

Figure 4. Men are more likely than women to own a bank account in most G20 countries, 2017
Women

Men

Bank account ownership (%)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Note: Percentage of men and women respectively age 15 and above who report having an account by themselves or together with someone.
Source:WorldBank
GlobalFindexData(2017),
https://globalfindex.worldbank.org/sites/globalfindex/files/201808/Global%20Findex%20Database.xlsx.

Gender norms that restrict women’s access to and control over income and expenditures are found to be
associated with their lower demand for financial services (Demirguc-Kunt, et al 2013). While overall women
seem to be confidently managing household expenses, it would seem that many women defer long-term
financial decisions to their spouses because they believe men know more about investing and planning(UBS, 2019). The SIGI also points to discriminatory practices that exclude women from decision-making
processes related to large household financial investments (OECD, 2019a). Clearly, women’s own
perceptions of their capabilities are also an obstacle to their participation in the area. They generally arefound to have less experience in self-employment than men and have less opportunities than men to be
in management roles, which influences their skills and levels of confidence (OECD/European Union, 2017).
Yet, given that women tend to have the primary responsibility for looking after children, and take daily
decisions about the allocation of household resources, it is imperative they have adequate financial skills(OECD, 2013).
On another level, logistical barriers such as long wait times in India and long distances for rural women in
Mexico, Russia and Indonesia prevent women from visiting banks, setting up accounts and making
transactions. Furthermore, it becomes more difficult for women to engage in financial activities if they are
limited by the legislation or by cultural practices. For example legal frameworks in Indonesia and Saudi
Arabia do not provide women with the same rights as men to be recognised as the head of household andlegally oblige them to obey their husbands (OECD, 2019e). In Turkey, where women typically do not holdor share the title for family assets such as property, it is difficult to secure a bank loan. Moreover, inAustralia, women are not as engaged in their finances as they should be, which may be due to a range offactors, such as internalised gender-based stereotypes or simply a lack of interest. Women globally arealso less financially literate than their male peers and may not be as confident negotiating a contract orreading terms and conditions (OECD, 2017a).
Achieving financial inclusion requires not only to have access to bank accounts, but also access to credit
from formal financial institutions. Access to credit enables investing in educational and business
opportunities and using formal insurance products that allow for better management of financial risks© OECD 2019 15

(Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., 2017). It seems that there is a gender bias in access to credit
in the G20 countries. While only 24% of women reported having borrowed money from a financial institution
or used a credit card, men’s proportion stands at 28%, which represents a four percentage-point gap.
Beyond this figure, country-level analysis reveals more inequalities: in Italy, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, thegap is respectively 21, 19 and 18 percentage-points, while parity prevails in Argentina and Australia.29 In
Japan and Korea, however, the gap was found to be in favour of women and stood respectively at two andsix percentage-points (World Bank Findex, 2017).
One explanatory factor for these trends is that women tend to source funding through informal channels(OECD/European Union, 2017). For example, analysing women-led entrepreneurship reveals that in 15 of
the G20,30 women are more likely to start their business with funding from their spouse and relatives thana bank loan (OECD, 2018a). Furthermore, women entrepreneurs tend to have smaller and less diverse
entrepreneurial networks than male entrepreneurs (OECD/European Union, 2017). Even when women do
seek a loan from a bank, they tend to ask for smaller amounts. This is the case in the US, where womenled businesses ask for 45% less than men-owned businesses (Biz2credit, 2018). This may be the result of
women’s lower levels of entrepreneurial experience, gender stereotypes or uncertainty about the lending
process (OECD, 2017b).
Nonetheless, this situation can have serious consequences for the success of women-led businesses. For
example, in Korea the main reasons women gave for discontinuing their businesses were a lack of financeand unprofitability (MasterCard, 2018). In this regard, the Japanese government has allocated
JPY 20 billion (USD 200 million) for a fund dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs. Only a small
number of countries have implemented measures targeted at women-owned businesses, among which in
the G20 figure the United States, Korea, South Africa and Indonesia. In addition, women entrepreneurs
face additional challenges due to their gender in the area of venture capital and angel investment, which
is predominantly male. In the United States, investors are 60% more likely to invest in male-owned
businesses, even if they are presented with the same investment pitches (OECD, 2017b). However, sincethe 2013 OECD Recommendation efforts are being made to further investments in financial education
initiatives targeted at women and girls or where women are the main beneficiaries. (OECD, 2017b).
Perceptions also matter as, in a business world mainly dominated by men, women face challenges inmaking their business thrive. These include gender stereotypes, lower credibility linked with their gender,or the difficulty juggling family and business demands, as in the case of Brazil (Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor, 2016). Entrepreneurship is traditionally viewed as primarily ‘masculine’, and despite a slow
positive shift, cultural attitudes and norms still favour men entrepreneurs, which are enhanced by
depictions in the media. In addition, the traditional allocation of gender roles in the household and its impact
on women’s work experience, network and assets may lead women to restrict their business goals andentrepreneurial activities (OECD, 2017b). For example, women who are self-employed are more likely thanmen to work in the service sector, and this is true in all OECD economies (OECD, 2016). Providing
coaching and mentoring to women would-be entrepreneurs and inspiring a younger generation with rolemodels of successful women entrepreneurs contributes to boosting women’s confidence and shifting
established perceptions.
Legal frameworks, social norms and practices have the potential to drive or change gender-biased financial
outcomes. And while there is some progress, notably in removing obstacles for women to access bankloans, more needs to be done in enabling equal access to women and men to finance and in addressing
gender stereotypes in the area of entrepreneurship.

29 Based on data from 2017.
30 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa,

the United Kingdom and the United States (data unavailable for China and Saudi Arabia).

© OECD 2019

16 

Main progress
Improvements in financial equity means ensuring that all women and men have access to financial services
including accounts, credit and information. Overall, there has been some progress, as countries haveincreasingly been attentive to the importance of access to credit and have been creating more favourable
conditions for women to pursue entrepreneurship:The legal framework of all G20 countries provides women with the same rights as men to open abank account at a formal financial institution and guarantee women’s equal access to credit.



In four countries31 of the G20, women are more likely than men to hold an account at a financial
institution.



A number of G20 countries have also improved women’s access to accounts by using newtechnologies. This is especially true in Indonesia and India, where digitalising payments has led tosignificant increases in account ownership for both men and women.



Efforts are being made to remove obstacles for women to access bank loans. This is notably thecase in China, where policies are in place to ensure that women who have gained theirentrepreneurial training certification are guaranteed to obtain a bank loan without having to provide
collateral on personal property.

Many governments have sponsored microcredit and training programs. For example, Mexico’s
National Financing Programme for Micro-entrepreneurs and Rural Women provides preferential
interest rates, loans and training for women, especially rural women who also face some of thetoughest barriers to financial inclusion globally.

In most G20 countries there is a slight increase of the number of women engaging inentrepreneurship. From 2017 to 2018, Russia and Argentina both experienced one-percentagepoint increases in the percentage of women business owners (MasterCard, 2018).

Main challenges
Social norms and unequal legal treatment of women and men are still an obstacle for women to develop
their financial knowledge, confidence and skills in this area (OECD, 2013). Enabling equal access for
women to financial products and services is key to fostering women’s economic empowerment, andremoving discriminatory social norms and practices is essential for women to fully realise their potential:On average, 22% of women in the G20 countries lack access to formal accounts (World Bank
Findex, 2017).



Across 27 countries 32 surveyed by Ipsos in 2019, 46% of people believe that not enough is being
done in business to achieve equal rights between men and women in their country; and 41% are
not confident that discrimination will have ended in their country in this area in the next 20 years.

Married women in six of the G2033 countries are more likely to defer long-term financial decisions
to their spouse rather than taking the lead.



Discriminatory practices persist, such as banks requiring husbands’ or fathers’ permission toapprove loan applications for women.34

31 Argentina, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa.
32 Out of the 27 countries, 16 are G20 countries.
33 Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States; Data unavailable for: Argentina, Australia, Canada,

China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.
34 Evidence available from Turkey and India.

© OECD 2019 17

Governance
The governance pillar – as defined by W20 for the purposes of this report – provides examples of measuresto achieve gender equality in all levels of decision-making by 2030.
Rooted in the 2015 OECD Recommendation on Gender Equality in Public Life and driven by the OECD
Working Party on Gender Mainstreaming and Governance, the OECD work on the governance dimensionsof gender equality entails strategic planning and institutional drivers of gender equality; the use of broad
range of government tools in a gender-responsive manner; independent accountability mechanisms;
strengthening of capacities; and measures to promote gender equality in public institutions at all levels.
The Japanese G20 presidency aimed to promote women in positions of power and decision-making, bothin the public and private sectors. Indeed, in G20 economies, women are less likely than men to occupy
leadership positions on corporate boards and they are also under-represented in parliaments. Specifically,
the W20’s action plan aims to ‘establish effective and transparent governance and accountability
mechanisms for achieving gender equality’.
The way the SIGI looks at this dimension from a social norms perspective includes analysing the underlying
drivers of women’s restricted role in corporate governance in the private sector as well as in leadership in
the public sector (government and/or Parliamentary representation remains predominantly the domain ofmen). While implementation of quotas is key to make progress in achieving gender parity in the parliamentsof G20 countries, addressing social norms is equally important. In order to achieve long-lasting change,
there is a need to increase social awareness of the benefits of gender-balanced representation at all levels(OECD, 2019d). Globally, half of the population declares that men make better political leaders than
women do (OECD, 2019a). It is therefore also important to address social norms in this area and devise
policies and measures to promote women’s leadership at all levels.
The report’s analysis of the governance pillar highlights progress made as well as the persistence of genderinequalities in the labour market in G20 economies, especially with regards to the legal frameworks, social
norms and practices that discriminate against women.

Where are we?
Women’s equal participation in leadership and decision-making positions is not yet a reality in G20
countries in both public and private spheres. Barriers to women’s advancement in public life are many:
these include unpaid care and domestic work, which adds to the probability of women interrupting theircareers to care for their family, as well as gender stereotyping at work, at home and in society at large,
which is exacerbated by the media. Yet progress is being made, especially thanks to gender quotas andother targets which help increase women’s representation in political and private sector leadership (OECD,
2017b). In particular, to address the challenge of an uneven work-life balance, which may discourage
women from high-ranking leadership positions in politics, steps are being taken to introduce a range ofmeasures to facilitate work-life balance for parliamentarians35 for example in Canada, Germany or Japan(OECD, 2019d).
Globally, women represent less than one-third (on average 25%) of members of parliaments in G20
countries in 2019. Progress has been slow, as in 2014 this figure was 23%. Beyond these averages, there
are important variations across countries: women occupy less than a quarter of seats in the parliaments ofhalf36 of the G20 countries (see Figure 5). However, in Mexico and South Africa, women are much more
represented in the political decision-making sphere, accounting for 43% and 42% of their respective
parliaments (OECD, 2019b). While Mexico has nearly achieved parity in political representation — since
35

The term parliamentarians refers to representatives of the lower or single House of Parliament, while in somecountries the term 'legislators' may be used.
36 Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States.

© OECD 201918 

a seven percentage-point increase is required for women and men to be equally represented in parliament,
in Japan, a 40 percentage-point increase in women’s political representation is required to achieve parity(OECD, 2019b).

Figure 5. Women are underrepresented in national parliaments in all G20 countries, 2019
Women

Men

G20 average

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Note: Political Representation is defined by the percentage of women in the total number of representatives of the lower or single House of
Parliament. The European Union is not included.
Source: OECD (2019), Gender, Institutions and Development Database, https://oe.cd/ds/GIDDB2019.

Despite more women participating in politics, discriminatory social norms and practices towards womenpolitical leaders remain an important issue in most G20 countries. In six of the G20 countries37, more thanhalf of the population still thinks that men make better political leaders than women (OECD, 2019b). In
addition, across the 27 countries 38 surveyed by Ipsos in 2019, 44% of respondents believe that not enoughis being done in government and politics to achieve equal rights between men and women in their country.
This was also identified as one of the areas where little progress will be made, as 43% are not confident
that discrimination will have ended in their country in this area in the next 20 years (Ipsos, 2019). Negative
perceptions towards women in leadership positions are also exacerbated by the obstacles that womenface in climbing up the governance ladder: women tend to have to prove themselves more than men, andare often discriminated against at the top because of their gender. Men also tend to be less supportive of
the idea of women in power, as there are more women than men who perceive both genders as equallysuitable for leadership (Kantar, 2018). Women also tend to have less access to networks and connections
to the business community than men, which makes financing their campaigns more difficult (OECD, 2017b;
Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2018; Hillman, 2017).
Another key challenge in ensuring that women are further empowered to be politically active is to preventand further criminalise violence and harassment of female politicians and candidates. Whether it be inperson or online, harassment and hate speech when directed towards women is often more violent andsexualised than when directed at men (and may even include death and rape threats). New research has
demonstrated that in Canada and the United States, women who succeed in reaching a high status inpolitics are more often victims of harassment online and receive more uncivil messages (Rheault, Rayment
and Musulan, 2019). This harassment serves to deter or discourage women from exercising their right toparticipate in politics, yet few governments in the G20 have openly recognised the problem. Furthermore,
women of colour and from minority groups are often the target of sexist and racist harassment. Evidence
37 India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.
38 Out of the 27 countries, 16 are G20 countries.

© OECD 2019 19from Canada also suggests that lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT+) women are also more likely toface harassment and violence (Canadian Parliamentary Review, 2017).
Media coverage can also convey gender stereotypes, which can create an atmosphere that prevents
women from being more engaged (OECD, 2017b). There is a wealth of evidence of women politicians
being asked questions regarding their personal life, which would be unimaginable to male candidates. For
example in Brazil, there is evidence that women politicians have been critiqued based on their appearance,
rather than on their proposed policies (Krook and Sanín, 2019). In other countries the simple fact of womenrunning for office can be publicly questioned, for example in Indonesia. There are however organisations
who are supporting women who seek political office and face online harassment, for example in the UnitedStates.
Gender stereotypes towards women in politics have an impact on the younger generation too, as they
witness the difficulties that women encounter in the area of governance. A 2017 survey by Plan
International found that girls in Australia are strongly impacted by sexism in politics. As girls grow older,
fewer aim for a political career: while 75% of girls aged 10-14 think they have every opportunity to becomea leader when they grow up, by the time they reach adulthood (18-25), the figure drops to only 57% (PlanInternational Australia, 2017). This testifies to the importance of promoting a positive image of womenpolitical leaders while addressing persisting gender stereotypes.
The private sector is no exception to the preponderance of men in leadership positions despite newresearch that has demonstrated the benefits associated with diverse leadership including higher shareprices, and innovative decision-making and problem-solving (Egon Zehnder, 2018). Data on the gender
distribution of women and men in managerial positions show an important underrepresentation of womenin all G20 countries. While in Saudi Arabia and in Korea women hold respectively only 6% and 10% of all
managerial positions, in the United States, Russia, and Brazil they hold 41%, 41%, and 40% of these roles
respectively (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Women are underrepresented in total management positions in all G20 countries, 2019
Women

Men

Representation in management (%)
60
40
20
0
20

40
60

80
100

Note: The proportion of females and males in total management. Due to lack of recent data, China is not represented.
Source: OECD (2019), Gender, Institutions and Development Database, https://oe.cd/ds/GIDDB2019.

The “leaky pipeline” is a metaphor used to describe a phenomenon, which has been studied extensively
in the United States and likely exists throughout the G20. In the pipeline, women and men begin theircareers in entry-level positions, where gaps in participation are small; however, as careers progress, fewer
women are represented in management and executive positions (OECD, 2017b). In fact, in all G20© OECD 2019

20 

countries, there are more men managers than women, and the proportion of men employed as managers
is particularly high in India, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, at over 80% (OECD, 2019b). Importantdrivers of the leaky pipeline phenomenon include women’s disproportionate responsibility for unpaid work
and women’s higher likelihood of working part-time (OECD, 2017b). From the organisational side, hiringand promotional practices that favour men also explain the leaky pipeline phenomenon; however very few
countries are collecting data about and analysing such promotional practices (McKinsey, 2018). A goodinitiative is the 30% Club, which was started in the United Kingdom and aims to promote and achieve
gender diversity on the corporate boards of some of the largest companies in eight of the G20 countries.39
Enhancing gender diversity on boards and in senior management can be achieved by considering adopting
measures such as voluntary targets, disclosure requirements, boardroom quotas, and private initiatives(OECD, 2015). In line with the OECD Gender Recommendations, the majority of OECD countries haveinitiated policies promoting gender balance on boards and in senior management, all leading to an increasein the number of women on boards. While those adopting a quota have seen a more rapid increase thanthose taking a softer approach such as disclosure of targets or voluntary quotas, it is important to have awide range of measures generate change (OECD, 2017c).
Legal frameworks, social norms and practices have the potential to drive or change gender-biased
governance outcomes. And while there is some progress in terms of establishing quotas and special
measures to promote women’s political participation, discriminatory social norms and attitudes related to
women’s leadership continue to limit their participation in private and public governance.

Main progress
Ensuring gender equal political representation and in the boards of private sector companies is important
not only to ensure that a diversity of perspectives is taken into account when important decisions are madeat the highest levels, but also to guarantee that the particular needs of girls and women are considered.
Only when gender equality is achieved in political and managerial leadership will there be a better
representation of the interests of the whole society (OECD, 2019d). Nevertheless, there has been notable
progress in the W20 governance pillar across G20 countries:All countries have provided equal voting rights to women and men in all type of elections, and inall but one of the G20 countries40, women have the same rights as men to hold public and political
office in the parliament, the public administration and the government.



Almost half of the G20 countries41 have established quotas, incentives for political parties to include
women on candidate lists, or other special measures at the national level to promote women’s
political participation and representation. In ten countries42 such measures exist at the local level.
Furthermore, more than half of the G20 countries 43 have at least one political party with voluntary
quotas (OECD, 2019b).

There are more women in politics today, which means that girls growing up today will have morerole models in politics, and while this may be “soft” progress, it should not be underestimated.

Specialised programmes have been created to provide women with the information they need to
run for political office. For example, in Indonesia, the SWARGA project provides training
programmes for candidates and MPs as well as funds activities designed to strengthen the
Women's Parliamentary Caucus (Kaukus Perempuan Parlemen).

39 Chapters in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Japan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
40 In Saudi Arabia women are prevented from serving as judges.
41 Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
42 Argentina, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
43 Argentina, Australia. Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom.

© OECD 2019

 21



France44, Germany45 and Italy46 have instituted a gender quota for boards of directors, requiring
listed companies to include the less represented gender at least 40%, 30% and 33% of overallboard representation, respectively. In addition, the Indian government has mandated that at least
one seat on the board of directors of publicly listed companies be reserved for women.

In the private sector, there has been a recent push by some governments, business leaders andshareholders to have more diversity in corporate leadership. Some initiatives, such as the 30%
Club, which has chapters in eight of the G20 countries47, seek to accelerate progress towards
gender balance at the top by setting voluntary commitments.

Main challenges
Social norms and attitudes towards women in political and managerial leadership continue to put womenaside. Yet, ensuring that women are involved at all levels of decision-making, both in the public and private
sector, is key to ensure a wider and fairer representation of the population’s needs and interests. Morefemale as role models may help encourage young girls to consider and pursue a career in politics or in theprivate sector’s high-decision making spheres. Yet, women continue to be under-represented in politics
and managerial leadership among G20 countries:

Gender-stereotyped media coverage serves to deter women from being more actively engaged inpolitical life.

Evidence from the United States and Canada shows that women politicians are more likely to face
online harassment than their male colleagues.



Minority women are underrepresented in political leadership in all of the G20 countries.



Only four G20 countries48 have enacted legislation to achieve gender equality on corporate boards.
Yet, for such legislation to be effective countries also need to ensure removing obstacles to girls’
education, so they can hold a leadership position one day. This is especially true for countries
where there is a high prevalence of girls being married as children49, which is a clear barrier to theireducation opportunities.

Moving forward: recommended actions
While women face different types of challenges in each of the three pillars – labour equity, financial equity
and governance – policy reforms can have an impact horizontally. Therefore, to achieve progress, it isimportant to address the challenges highlighted in this report across all pillars.
Based on the report’s findings and in line with the SIGI conceptual framework, the suggestions in the below
table could be useful as Saudi Arabia takes over the G20 presidency in 2020. In addition, recommended
actions should take into account the 2013 and 2015 OECD Recommendations, as well as the policy
messages and actions outlined in various OECD reports (OECD, 2017b; OECD, 2019d; OECD/ILO, 2019).
It is equally important to recall that women themselves should step up and realise their full potential togrow and be empowered; to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves; and to challenge

44 Passage date: 13 January 2011.
45 Passage date: 01 January 2016. The law only applies to public and private enterprises on the DAX stock exchange.
46 Passage date: 28 January 2011.
47 Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Japan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
48 France, Germany, Italy, India.
49 This is the case for example in India, Mexico, and Brazil, where the percentage of girls aged 15-19 who have been,or are still married, divorced, widowed or in an informal union is 22%, 19% and 15% respectively.

© OECD 201922 

established norms, stereotypes and practices in their homes and workplaces. Women’s full and active
engagement is essential to make rapid progress in achieving gender equality.

Continue to monitor progress made on the 25x25 target, which aims to reduce the gender gap in labour
force participation by 25% by 2025.
Promote increased enforcement of anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. This includes addressing
sexual harassment, pay discrimination, and gender-based discrimination related to marital or family status, aswell as physical appearance and attributes. This also entails removing discriminatory legal provisions thatprohibit women from entering certain professions.
Highlight the importance of addressing social norms that confine women to care and reproductiveroles. Promote acceptance of all of the roles women and men may choose to play in the household and society.
Ensure that fathers are encouraged and have equal opportunities to provide childcare and engage in otherunpaid work at home.

LabourequityFacilitate women’s participation in the labour market. This includes providing paid parental leave, maternity
leave and paternity leave (including paid fathers-only parental leave, that the father can take at a later stage
following the birth of the child), and promote shared responsibility in childcare; encouraging employers to allow
employees more agency in their work arrangements, including flexible hours where the production process
allows and, where appropriate, the possibility to work remotely, regardless of parental status (to lessen
statistical discrimination against parents); providing a statutory right to request flexible working for all
employees, which employers can reject only on serious business grounds; and providing parents with accessto affordable, good quality childcare and out-of-school-hours services.
Promote further recognition of the importance of tracking unpaid care and domestic work. Run
dedicated time-use surveys, and if not possible at least ensure time-use components are added to national
surveys as this data enables a better understanding of how men and women use their time and monitorchanges in the division of unpaid care work. This is essential information to develop policies that reduce andredistribute the unpaid care work more equally between women and men.
Call for more investments in data. A key challenge is to have more regular and better data collection in all
G20 countries, in particular in areas where data is scarce such as on social norms and practices, as well as
time use, violence against women, caregiving patterns, or the use of social services. To address current gaps
in gender statistics, Paris21 and UN Women are collaborating on an initiative to increase the production andwider use of gender statistics. It is recommended to engage with this initiative, to strengthen countries’
statistical systems to produce gender statistics that are consistent, high quality, timely and relevant to policy
makers, academics, civil society organisations and citizens.50
Recommend harmonisation of gender pay gap definitions, coverage and calculations. In particular an
important recommendation would be to harmonise the earnings and income surveys, so that consistentcalculations can be made, for example for the gender pay gap or income inequality.

FinancialequityAdvocate for the elimination of discriminatory laws that do not guarantee women’s equal rights toeconomic resources and access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial
assets, and natural resources.
Recommend developing action plans to strengthen entrepreneurship. This includes preventing andaddressing gender-based discrimination in entrepreneurship as well as ensuring that the conditions are50

See: https://paris21.org/supporting-gender-statistics.

© OECD 2019 23

favourable for starting and building a business and strengthening the financial and digital capacity of women’s
and men’s enterprises, including e-commerce.
Encourage the promotion of women’s entrepreneurship and positive social attitudes towards women
entrepreneurs. Profile successful women entrepreneurs in awareness campaigns and introduce gender
neutral entrepreneurship education to shift mind-sets about associating entrepreneurship with men.
Promote measures to facilitate women’s access to credit and entrepreneurship. The financial sector
should provide special subsidies/loans to support women entrepreneurs; invest in technology such as mobilebanking, and ensure both men and women have access to the technological infrastructure necessary to benefit
from this innovation; and reduce administrative burdens for men and women.
Remove barriers to access to finance for women. This includes incentivising financial institutions to take
into account the specificities and needs of women and men for the financial products they offer as well as theirlevel of knowledge so that they are the most relevant, but also to be mindful of discriminatory social norms andpractices when designing and implementing initiatives aimed at increasing women’s financial inclusion, so thatwomen-specific support does not reinforce existing barriers. Women’s access to finance can be improved
through loan guarantees, as well as other approaches such as improving access to public procurement
markets, access to risk capital and the use of tax credits.
Encourage investment in the financial education of women. This includes putting in place educational
programmes, training and general support to boost women’s financial literacy and confidence, including
support networks; increasing awareness of finance sources and tools among women entrepreneurs; anddeveloping coaching and mentoring services that equip women with the necessary skills to manage theirbusinesses successfully, including professional advice on legal and fiscal matters. This can also include
providing more advanced skills through business incubators.
Call for the development of better indicators to track progress in the area. While the percentage of women
who have accounts may be a passable proxy for financial inclusion, better indicators are needed to see if
women are able to access the credit they need to achieve their life goals.

GovernanceConsider transitional or corrective measures to promote gender diversity in governance bodies. These
can include disclosure requirements, legal or voluntary quotas, parity laws, alternating the sexes on party lists
as well as financial incentives for political parties. Furthermore penalties for non-compliance may be important
to ensuring these measures are effective. Measures to promote gender-balanced representation at the highest
level should apply to all women, including indigenous women or women from rural areas, among other groups(OECD, 2019d). Recommendation is also made that the OECD’s “Toolkit for Mainstreaming and Implementing
Gender Equality” is used in this regard. The toolkit was developed to support implementation of the 2015 OECD
Recommendation, assisting policy makers to design gender-sensitive public policies and services and enable
women’s equal access to public decision-making (OECD, 2018b).51
Consider measures to enhance gender diversity on boards and in senior management. This could
include voluntary targets, disclosure requirements, boardroom quotas, as well as private initiatives.
Highlight the importance of changing mind-sets about women’s political and managerial leadership byrunning awareness campaigns to promote a positive image of women leaders.
Recommend that gender stereotypes and sexist language directed at women politicians is addressed.
This includes working with social media platforms to ensure they are upholding their standards for content and51

The toolkit includes a self-assessment tool, which enables policy makers in different areas to analyse their specificcountry and work contexts and identify gaps, weaknesses and strengths in the four main pillars of the toolkit:
Institutional and governance frameworks for gender equality and mainstreaming; Gender-sensitive practices inparliaments; Gender-sensitive public employment systems; and Gender-sensitive practices in the judiciary.

© OECD 201924 usage to address online harassment; raising awareness about the responsible use of online platforms, and theeffect hateful speech can have especially when directed towards women politicians; facilitate dialogue between
police and politicians about preventing political violence.
Promote data collection to track progress about whether companies have gender equality policies inplace (such as board succession, voluntary quotas, bias-reduction procedures for hiring, promotions andevaluations, flexible work arrangements, childcare arrangements, etc.); and about whether there are hiring andpromotional practices that favour men.
Suggest that incentives are put in place for companies to commit to gender equality. This includes
encouraging companies to take on voluntary commitments to increase diversity in boardrooms, and create agender certification for companies which have demonstrated a real commitment to gender equality.

© OECD 2019 25

References

Canadian Parliamentary Review (2017), Social Media Harassment of Women Politicians,
http://revparl.ca/40/3/40n3e_17_socialmedia.pdf.

Deléchat, C. et al (2018), “What Is Driving Women’s Financial Inclusion Across Countries?”, IMF
Working Paper, https://imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/WP/2018/wp1838.ashx.

Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D. (2013), “Financial Inclusion and Legal Discrimination
Against
Women”,World
Bank
PolicyResearch
Working
Paper,
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/15553/wps6416.pdf%3Bjsessionid%3D835CD8AE30DABA77683AF9E81B6EA9DA?sequence%3D1.

Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D. (2017), “Financial inclusion and inclusive growth”, WorldBank
PolicyResearch
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https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/26479/WPS8040.pdf?sequence=1.



Elson, D. (2000), “Progress of the World’s Women 2000”, UNIFEM Biennial Report, United Nations
Development Fund for Women, New York.

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© OECD 2019

The OECD Development Centre was established in 1962 as an independent platform for knowledge
sharing and policy dialogue between OECD member countries and developing economies, allowing
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