Women still vulnerable

GENEVA – Women are in the workplace like never before but they are still more vulnerable than men to unemployment and low-paid jobs, the International Labour Organisation said on Friday.

In a report presented one day before International Women’s Day on March 8, the ILO said women are more likely to be stuck in low productivity jobs which are poorly paid and precarious. In 2007, the rate of female labour activity reached 52,5 per cent against 78,8 per cent for men, the ILO said.Unemployment stood at 6,4 per cent for women and 5,7 per cent for men.The activity rate figure was down slightly from 52,9 per cent recorded a decade ago in 1997, which the ILO explained by higher female participation in education.”More women have access to education and are entering the labour market later,” said Dorothea Schmidt, one of the report’s authors.However, female labour is not sufficient in itself to pull communities out of poverty, the ILO said.Women in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest labour activity rate worldwide at 62,6 per cent but poverty remains widespread, the report found.Nampa-AFPIn 2007, the rate of female labour activity reached 52,5 per cent against 78,8 per cent for men, the ILO said.Unemployment stood at 6,4 per cent for women and 5,7 per cent for men.The activity rate figure was down slightly from 52,9 per cent recorded a decade ago in 1997, which the ILO explained by higher female participation in education.”More women have access to education and are entering the labour market later,” said Dorothea Schmidt, one of the report’s authors.However, female labour is not sufficient in itself to pull communities out of poverty, the ILO said.Women in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest labour activity rate worldwide at 62,6 per cent but poverty remains widespread, the report found.Nampa-AFP