Gender and vocational skills development - Better opportunities for women in the job market

Women are still more likely to be disadvantaged when it comes to access to employment and income. Targeted promotion of vocational skills can increase their chances of taking part effectively in the job market. This calls for vocational skills development options that are specifically designed to meet women's needs and are geared to gender equality.

Key facts

•	48% of all women worldwide are currently in gainful employment. In 1996, the rate was 43%.
•	More young women are able to read and write, compared to 10 years ago. Yet they have a lower level of education and poorer job prospects than men.
•	In virtually all parts of the world and all occupations, women are paid less than men for the same work.
•	Girls and young women account for 60% of all students who quit school prematurely.

Women are disproportionately affected by unemployment. One reason for this is that they tend to have a lower level of education than men. Improved access to education and the acquisition of skills that pave the way to an income-generating occupation therefore play a key role in the reduction of global poverty.

Current challenges
One of the most predominant and persisting aspects of employment is the segregation of jobs according to gender. Yet this discrimination begins long before entering the working world. Role models are imposed in early childhood and youth, with the associated impact on educational opportunities. The underlying reasons for this are the traditional division of roles within the family, gender-specific rights and obligations, and gender-specific access to resources. Therefore, when developing training offers, this wider social context must also be taken into account alongside the numerous aspects of the economy and the labour market.

The SDC focus

Gender equality is one of the key priorities in all SDC's activities. When developing programmes for vocational skills development, SDC therefore ensures that gender perspectives are taken into account from the outset. The specific aims include:

Equal access to education. SDC sees to it that educational options are directed equally at women as well as men. It takes appropriate steps to ensure that women are not excluded from participation due to gender-specific divisions of labour. This means, for example, that the additional tasks traditionally performed by women (child-rearing, household chores etc.) are taken into consideration in a project planning process.
Inclusion of all formal and informal employment opportunities. When developing its programmes, SDC endeavours to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the job market, including in particular employment opportunities in the informal sector, where women play an important role.
Addressing market demands. One of the biggest challenges in this context is to bridge the gap between the skills of employees, particularly of women, and requirements of the job market.

Additional Information and Documents

Documents

Gender and skills development
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