Content
Activities and instruments
Promoting women's economic participation
The result of women not having equal access to land, capital and jobs is a considerable loss of growth and development constraints at a macro-economic level. Women in developing countries frequently do not have adequate access to the formal labour market, often on account of their low level of education. They often resort to the informal sector in their search for work and an independent income. Their work is not legally protected, they have no social security to fall back on and their work is not recorded at macro-economic level. Nevertheless, women are key actors in many areas in their societies. In most developing countries, for example, they are responsible for producing the majority of basic foodstuffs.
Strengthening women's economic participation is a key factor for development. Since women also spend a large portion of their income on food and education for their children, promoting women also directly benefits the next generation. Women’s lack of economic participation is not only undemocratic, but also short-sighted from a macro-economic point of view.
Financial independence is a key pillar of gender equality. It can better protect women against exploitation, oppression and disrespect for their rights. Not least, where women are able to feed themselves and their children by their own means they are in a better position to extricate themselves from violent relationships.
That is why Germany is working at various levels to boost the economic empowerment of women:
Germany promotes legal reforms in its partner countries that will lead to the elimination of gender-based discrimination against women. Another priority area of German measures is improving women’s level of education. In order to make it easier for women to become self-employed, the BMZ, for example, promotes access to micro-loans. German development cooperation is also involved in establishing social security systems for women and improving their working conditions.
In Germany the BMZ has worked to ensure that gender-based aspects are mainstreamed in development cooperation strategies to a greater degree, for example in the areas of private-sector promotion, economic policy, education, and information and communication technologies (ICTs).
That is why Germany is supporting at international level the implementation of the World Bank's Gender Action Plan, which aims to strengthen women's economic participation and gender equality in key economic sectors.
