(VOVworld) – Despite modest gains in some regions in the world, millions of women are losing ground in their quest for equality in the world of work. The information was revealed in a report prepared by the International Labor Organisation’s Women at Work Centenary Initiative.

A street vendor selling fruit

The report examined data from 178 countries, and concluded that gender inequality in the global labor market. Though there has been some small improvement in reducing gender wage gaps, if current trends prevail, the report estimates that it will take more than 70 years to close the gender wage gaps completely.
The ILO theme for International Women’s Day 2016 is “Getting to Equal by 2030: The Future is Now”, reflecting the urgency of addressing these gaps if the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is to be achieved. More jobs — and quality jobs — for women, universal social protection and measures to recognise, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and household work are indispensable to the UN agenda.