Achieving gender equality implies developing social, economic and political actions that contribute to eradicating gender discrimination, which deeply symbolizes violence against women.
In the world of work and companies, there is a challenge, to evolve in the diversity of inclusion, that is, to hire diverse people in terms of gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic origin, ethnic origin, age, with different types of disabilities, assuming the diversity as a growth advantage for the company.
However, if this approach is not adopted, the discrimination suffered by millions of girls and women in different spheres continues, and they are left out of the analysis, representing an obstacle for women to access, remain and develop in the different economic spaces, social, cultural and political.
Labor market indicators by gender
The Great Integrated Household Survey (GEIH) provides statistical information related to the labor market, income and monetary poverty, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of the population residing in Colombia. Likewise, through the survey people are classified according to their labor force, as employed, unemployed or inactive. In this way it is possible to estimate the main indicators of the labor market.
The October-December 2022 report from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) indicated that for the mentioned quarter, the unemployment rate for women was 12.6% and for men 7.8%.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
It raises gender equality in any part of the world as a central element of development in its three dimensions: Social, economic and environmental. The rights of women and girls are positioned through a solid transversal approach to the gender approach in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Thus recognizing the importance of accelerating equality between men and women in different dimensions such as economic empowerment, political representation and the elimination of discrimination, including harmful practices and violence against women and girls.
Even when?
Women continue to be unable to enjoy the benefits of contributing their talent and without achieving better conditions to realize their enormous potential. For its part, the economy still has not benefited from this contribution, which could generate a virtuous circle of unparalleled growth and prosperity.
They represent half of the Colombian population, but under current conditions they contribute less than half of the economic activity because, structurally, their opportunities are limited, despite the educational achievements of Colombian women and the family and public investment that this means.
Women still earn less than men
On the other hand, the salary inequity of women with respect to men in Colombia is estimated at 20% and more. Globally, the pay gap between men and women is estimated to be 22.9%.
DANE has reported that men earn 21% more than women with the same educational level and establishes that it is not just a question of income, but also of effective generation of opportunities.
Data presented by the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, CUT, show that 55.3% of men in Colombia receive a salary located between 1 and 1.5 current legal minimum wages, while the participation of women in this salary range reaches 43.2. %.
Women work more in the “rebusque” or are not paid
Of the employed women in the country, 60% are in the informal sector. This is equivalent to 10 points more than the Latin American average, according to information from the Colombian Ministry of Labor. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America, ECLAC, Colombian, Nicaraguan and Peruvian women are the ones who perform the most in this occupational category.
The reality is that the country is wasting the gender bonus that means having a population of women, mainly young, increasingly qualified, but unused.