The 2009 Global Jobs Pact, in its section on shaping a fair and sustainable
globalization, states that: “This current crisis should be viewed as an opportunity to
shape new gender equality policy responses. Recovery packages during economic crises
need to take into account the impact on women and men and integrate gender concerns in
all measures. In discussions on recovery packages, both regarding their design and
assessing their success, women must have an equal voice with men” (ILO 2009a, p. 7).
Further, the ILO Programme and Budget 2012-13 document, in its section on
delivering results in gender equality, states: “…in 2012-13, efforts will focus on a
comparative analysis of employment policies, in order to identify good practices and
develop recommendations that support the implementation of Global Jobs Pact. It is
expected that these recommendations will help countries to move more towards gender
equality and improve quality of women’s employment” (ILO 2011a, p. 83). Given these
two mandates, this report emerges to help respond to the crisis and to promote economic
and social development.
The ILO Employment Policy Department has been providing technical support for
the formulation of national employment policies (NEPs) in developing countries during
the last six years. As part of its efforts to establish and maintain a good knowledge base,
it has been compiling a Global Knowledge Database on Employment Policy (GKDBEP)
where national employment policy documents, national development plans, relevant
socioeconomic policy documents, as well as technical reports are collected and stored,
with the aim of being made available electronically to all ILO colleagues who are
working on employment policies in both the field and at HQ. So far, there are some 53
countries for which various documents are collected and stored, and of these, there are 24
countries for which there are documents on NEPs.
In light of the availability of these documents, the aim of this study is to provide a
systematic review and documentation of the gender dimensions of the various national
employment policies and strategies. This report will provide an overview of the 24
countries sampled, including a methodology for analysis, a mapping of the gender
responsiveness of the policies along a “spectrum of gender dimensions”, and an
examination of the recurrent themes and patterns that emerge from the review. The
purpose of this report is to provide grounding within a global context of the emerging
issues, debates and considerations of gender equality within NEPs. The report focuses on
the Decent Work Agenda; demand side considerations (i.e. macro- and microeconomic
environment, foreign direct investment, sectoral policies to encourage employment);
supply side considerations (i.e. the development of marketable skills); control over and
access to productive resources and SME development; labour market policies (active and
passive labour market policies, employment services); equal opportunity and treatment in
employment; social protection and labour rights; work-family balance considerations;
issues surrounding unpaid work; and policy formulation, coordination, monitoring and
evaluation and budgeting.