Equality in the economy: thanks to women, global GDP can be increased by 8% by 2025

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Now women make up about 50% of the total working population of the world. True, women account for only about 37% of global GDP. The analytical agency McKinsey, after a detailed analysis of OECD statistics in 95 countries, concluded that there is still no true gender equality in the world, Kommersant reports . As for India, the Middle East and South Asia, there women create about 20% of GDP. In North America, this figure reaches about 40%.

The report argues that gender inequality is the cause of low employment of women in the labor market. Women work part-time, plus they are employed in the less productive sectors of the economy, including agriculture. About 75% of all unpaid work in the world is performed by women, such as caring for children and the elderly, cleaning and cooking. At the same time, part of such work may well be paid for or shared equally between women and men. The cost of such labor is estimated by analysts at $ 10 trillion per year or 13% of global GDP as a percentage.

After studying the current situation, analysts have developed two further scenarios for the development of the economic situation and gender equality in the economy. The first scenario, called the "ideal", implies the full participation of women in the economy. It can lead to world GDP growth by 20% (in monetary terms, it is $ 28 trillion). However, such a scenario is possible only if a number of requirements are met: the transition to full-time work, the employment of women not only in low-productive sectors of the economy, but also in highly productive ones. The second scenario provides for a gradual increase in the participation of women in labor relations, with their employment in highly productive sectors. This, according to experts, would add 8% of world GDP ($ 12 trillion in monetary terms). The report also stipulates that such a development path would require an investment of about $ 3 trillion, which would be directed to education and job creation in highly productive sectors.
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The McKinsey research data is very important for the implementation of various economic development scenarios in countries with aging populations, including Russia.