Quick Facts
- 2 billion women face work restrictions due to poverty, discrimination, and unpaid domestic labor
- Women spend 2.8 more hours than men on unpaid domestic work
- Household poverty leads to families prioritizing boys’ education, leading to high dropout rates for girls
- The cost of school meals for the girl child is almost 10% of a family’s total income
- Nutritious school meals increase girls’ school attendance and learning outcomes while reducing financial strain on families
Gender equality in economic opportunities is not just a matter of fairness, but also a potential economic boon. It has the power to increase global GDP by a staggering $28 trillion annually. However, in many developing countries, this potential is not fully realized, as women earn 30% less than men, and over 2 billion women are restricted from working due to high poverty rates, workplace discrimination, unpaid domestic labor, and cultural norms that prioritize traditional gender roles. Structural barriers to employment are particularly prominent in Bangladesh and the Philippines.
In Bangladesh, over 40% of women avoid paid jobs due to cultural norms discouraging them from working outside their homes. However, some women may secure paid jobs. Due to gender discrimination, a significant gender pay gap persists, with men earning 35% more per hour than women and 57% more in agricultural roles. In the Philippines, women earn approximately 78% of what men earn, while in Bangladesh, this figure drops to 60%, despite women having similar qualifications.
Women are more likely to face higher risks of workplace harassment and discriminatory hiring practices, which can deter them from seeking employment. In Bangladesh, 63% of women reported facing discrimination or harassment at work, which significantly reduces their job security. Similarly, in the Philippines, 1 in 3 working women experience gender-based discrimination in promotions and hiring.
Unpaid domestic responsibilities are not just a significant barrier to women’s employment opportunities, but also a major hindrance to their professional aspirations. On average, women spend 2.8 more hours than men on unpaid domestic labor. In the Philippines, 80% of women engage in unpaid domestic care, while 36% of women in Bangladesh have childcare and domestic responsibilities. This imbalance not only affects their personal lives but also their dreams and ambitions.
Single mothers and female-headed households face a unique set of challenges. More than 30% of female-headed households live in poverty. Research suggests that gender inequality in employment may cost the global economy a staggering $160 trillion in lost wealth. This underscores the pressing need for targeted support and policies to address these challenges, particularly for single mothers and female-headed households.
Gender inequality in employment has consequences not only for women but also for their daughters. When mothers earn less or are unemployed, families may prioritize boys’ education, leading to higher dropout rates for girls.
This is the case in the Philippines and Bangladesh, where over 36% and 40% of girls respectively in poor households drop out of school due to financial constraints, particularly in poorer communities.
Research suggests that many girls in developing countries drop out of school before reaching ninth grade, often between the ages of 12 and 15. In the Philippines, studies have shown that girls drop out between the ages of 16 and 24, while in Bangladesh, adolescent girls drop out before completing grade 10.
Gender inequality may also lead to malnutrition among the female child due to traditional societal norms that prioritize the male child. For instance, 42% of girls from low-income families in Bangladesh suffer from stunting, a sign of chronic malnutrition caused by poverty, dietary deficiencies, and food insecurity.
Stunting impairs physical growth, affects cognitive development, and future educational opportunities. In the Philippines, 11% of adult women are malnourished due to traditional gender biases in resource allocation experienced during childhood, but it doesn’t have to be so.
Research suggests that the value of a school meal is equivalent to 10% of a household’s income, allowing parents to allocate funds to other pressing needs. These savings also encourage parents to send their children to school, including girls, which increases enrolment rates and reduces dropout rates. Studies show that when girls remain in school until the ninth grade, it significantly increases the likelihood of delayed marriage and childbirth.
School meal programs significantly impact adolescent girls, improving learning outcomes and increasing educational opportunities. Nutritious free school meals reduce girls’ time on household chores, enabling them to dedicate more time to their studies.
Thrive’s free school lunch program actively aims to break down the barriers to poverty, women and their families face in developing countries. By providing free school meals, Thrive empowers women with economic opportunities that alleviate maternal poverty and prevent nutritional deficiencies among female children.
