While women make up nearly 40% of the global paid workforce, they earn only 26% of the world's income.

• globally the gender gap in wages is hard to determine because so much data is not available
• female-dominated professions in general are valued much lower than male-dominated professions

Women encounter certain obstacles and barriers that keep them from the workplace:

• one of the biggest obstacles is the absence of good, affordable childcare. This is especially critical for women in rural areas where the extended family structure is being threatened and for single mothers trying to fit in the demands of paid and unpaid work
• women returning to work after looking after children often find it difficult to find a job that matches their skills
• often they have to change their occupation and accept lower pay in order to get part time work and their skills are under-utilised

The economic security provided by earning one's own income can give women the:

• strength to leave abusive relationships,
• opportunity to provide fully for their children
• freedom and self-confidence to choose the course of their lives
• satisfaction of feeling that they are contributing to the economy and being remunerated for that

While women face barriers within the paid workforce, they are finding many ways to get around these. Women's income in comparison to men's has increased significantly over the last several decades as have their career options. Women have also shown spectacular success in running their own businesses.

Sources:
UNIFEM Biennial Report. Progress of the World's Women, 2000.
World Bank
Women & Work Commission 'Shaping a Fairer Future'