1. Women’s Work Amid Fragility and Conflict: Key Patterns + Constraints
- Author:
- Yvonne Quek
- Publication Date:
- 02-2019
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
- Abstract:
- Investing in women’s economic empowerment is at the forefront of the global agenda, as recognized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations secretary-general’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on Women’s Economic Empowerment, and more recently the G7 summit in Canada. The importance of women’s economic empowerment is increasingly accepted, but inclusive progress can only be made if attention is paid to empowering women in the most fragile and conflict-affected settings. Globally, about 264 million women live in the 36 countries classified as fragile and conflict affected (FCA) by the World Bank Group’s annual “Harmonized list of fragile situations.” These women face cross-cutting challenges of poverty, gender-based violence, and discriminatory norms. Evidence shows that they are more likely than men to experience displacement or have their education interrupted, and that they have less access than men to employment and income opportunities. Our analysis, while limited by data constraints, suggests that women’s economic opportunities in FCA settings are restricted on multiple fronts, with worse outcomes in countries in protracted conflict.
- Topic:
- Economics, Women, Conflict, and Empowerment
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus