World Survey on the Role of Women in Development: Globalisation, Gender and Work

This global survey examines the impact of current trends and policies on the overall social and economic situation of women. It starts by describing the main economic trends produced by globalisation: trade liberalisation; increased globalised production due to direct investment of multinational corporations; and financial liberalisation. The gender impact of those trends are then analysed in detail beginning with employment and displacement effects, including their influence on women's position within the household and the labour markets around the world. The gender dimension of the flexibilisation of labour due to a reorganisation of production, including part-time, home-based work and informal sector is also examined. The survey also explores the gender implications of privatisation on rural women's work, with a specific focus on land rights especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, as well as on the gender imbalances provoked by an increased demand for social protection and the inability of the state to provide it. The document ends with some recommendations on how to formulate gender-aware policies at international and national levels.