Addressing the gender dimension of informality

Globally, men are more exposed to informality than women, but the share of women in informal employment exceeds that of men in a majority of countries (Chapter 1). Across countries, however, risks and vulnerabilities associated with the informal economy (Chapter 3) disproportionately affect women. This chapter provides updated evidence on gender disparities in key informal employment outcomes, such as employment status and wage levels. It then examines the role of gender-based constraints in employment outcomes and access to social protection. Last, it reviews gender-sensitive approaches that have been instrumental in empowering women in the informal economy in a number of countries, with a view to identify priority areas for policy makers. It is evident that the vulnerability challenge in the informal economy needs to be addressed through a gender lens. In particular, gender-sensitive risk management instruments are critically needed to ensure that current attempts to extend social protection to informal economy workers do not leave women behind.