The challenge to improve the living conditions of women

Compared to men, women have benefited less during the course of economic development. This has resulted in a lowered status for women within the house, in the workplace and in the community. It is well established by now that the unequal status between men and women is not due to their biological or physiological differences, but a socially created difference, connoted as gender inequality. Consequently, from time to time, social reformers have attempted to remedy the deeply entrenched notions about women's position in society.

In order to alleviate the living conditions of women in this broader context, financial resources are necessary but not sufficient and changes in social and cultural attitudes play a very important role. The suggestions for positive outcomes on improving women's living conditions are drawn from various country-level experiences, where the use of economic instruments is fewer and the emphasis is more often on creating social and legal institutions. Under these circumstances, it may not always be possible to measure the costs and benefits of these initiatives in monetary units alone. However, an attempt is made to illustrate the likely benefits to the countries when an opportunity to reduce the gender gap is put into practice, and the costs of implementation.