Foreword
Despite Amartya Sen's astute pronouncement, women still lack opportunities to succeed—and become “dynamic promoters of social transformations.” This is especially so for women in less developed countries who suffer daily injustices. But even in places where women fare relatively well, subtle—but inhibitive—forces hold us back: “traditional” gender roles; the specter of discrimination; and an ever-present glass ceiling.
As a result, women face a double disadvantage at work. Women are less likely than men to have a paid job: the difference between employed men and women—the gender gap—ranges from 12 percent in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries to 50 percent in the Middle East and North Africa. To compound this, women who have jobs earn just three-quarters as much as men—even with the same level of education, and in the same occupation.
So, empowering women is certainly about fairness, but it is also about economic growth: 865 million women could contribute more to the global economy. If women were employed at the same rate as men, GDP would increase by 5 percent in the United States, by 9 percent in Japan, and by 27 percent in India. Closing these gaps would be transformative—and it can be achieved through what I have called the Three ...
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