“Women make up a little over half the world’s population, but their contribution to measured economic activity, growth, and well-being is far below its potential, with serious macroeconomic consequences,” says the IMF in the paper  “Women, Work, and the Economy“.

For example, consultancy Booz & Co. Estimates that raising female labour force participation rates to the same levels as males could boost U.S. gross domestic product by 5 per cent, add 9 per cent to Japan’s GDP and expand Egyptian GDP by a whopping 34 per cent. Experts calculate losses attributed to gender gaps in the labour market could reach 27 per cent of GDP per capita in some regions.

For fast-aging economies such as Japan, higher female participation can offset the shrinking workforce, the fund says. More job opportunities for women can contribute to broader economic development for developing nations, including by lifting education levels for girls.

Source: The Wall Street Journal