The World Bank report, subtitled ‘Unlocking the Economic Benefits of Gender Equality’, makes a clear economic case faster action on gender equality in PNG.
During the launch of the 9th edition World Economic Update for Papua New Guinea 9th today, Giorgia Demarchi, a Senior Social Development Specialist in the East Asia and Pacific region with the World Bank shared details of the report on this.
The new report highlights the potentially significant economic gains made in PNG through efforts to address gender inequality, including improvements in overall family incomes, more substantial education and training and increased economic productivity.
Demarchi said: “The report says that bridging the substantial difference between men’s and women’s participation in better, more productive paid employment could raise GDP per capita by an additional 20 percent in the space of a generation.
“The report also finds that addressing gender-based violence could bring other substantial economic benefits – beyond the obvious improvement to social wellbeing for women in PNG. The report estimates that annual productivity losses from absenteeism related to gender-based violence account for at least 0.5% of GDP, though the real cost is much higher.
“The report recommends; a review of PNG’s employment Act, including the removal of discriminatory employment clauses, Strengthened enforcement of the Family Protection Act, Genuine implementation of the National Strategy to Prevent and respond to gender-based violence, and the expansion.”