United Nations: More than half of the world's
working women -- an estimated 600 million -- are trapped in
insecure jobs, often outside the purview of labour laws, and
many of them face discrimination at the workplace, says a new
UN report.
Violence against them also remains widespread though more
women are gaining access to basic rights, according to the
report issued by 'UN Women', the world body's entity for
gender equality and the empowerment of women set up in July
last year.
It said that 28 countries have reached or surpassed the
30 per cent mark for women's representation in Parliament, but
women are generally paid between 10 and 30 per cent less than
men.
"And yet, while examples of countries making immense
strides in promoting gender equality abound, in many more,
women continue to be deprived of economic resources and access
to public services," said the 169-page report.
"All too often, women are denied control over their
bodies, denied a voice in decision-making, and denied
protection from violence," it said.
The report said some 600 million women, more than half of
the world's working women, are in vulnerable employment,
trapped in insecure jobs, often outside the purview of labour
legislation.
"Even where labour laws extend to these zones, they are
often un-enforced, leaving women exposed to low wages and poor
conditions," it said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 21:45