German NGOs also complain that the lack of gender mainstreaming in all government ministries is as bad as the poor coherence of their policies on women. She says that introducing legislation does not mean that these laws will be honoured or, even less, that they will improve directly women's living and working conditions. No Beijing effect on globalisation The WEDO assessed as early as 1998 that economic restructuring and globalisation were a growing threat to the assertion of women's rights in the sectors of health care, education and employment, and in no way an enabling environment for equality of the sexes as a whole. True, except for Africa, more women than men were integrated in the employed labour market. But under worse conditions than those of men.
Women work in low-paid, insecure employment conditions, often in the informal sector.
They bear a disproportionate load of the burdens of structural adjustment, and as a result of cutbacks in state social services are forced to take on more unpaid caring tasks. Amid the Asian crisis, they were the first to lose their jobs. Now they are suffering not only from economic stress, and once again threatened by poverty, but also from psychological stress which is leading to the break-up of families, growing suicide rates, drug abuse and violence. On the whole, neo-liberal globalisation has caused great social inequality between world regions, classes and women. There is no doubt that for some women globalisation has created new opportunities, especially in the service and information technology sectors.