OECD: Women in Developed Countries More Educated than Men, but Still Earn Less

Women in developed countries are more educated than men, but still earn less, are underrepresented in politics, less frequently break into the top of the business world, and engage less in entrepreneurship, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported on Wednesday.

From Canada and Japan to Norway and Australia, young women earn on average nearly 15 percent less than men despite being more educated, according to the research from the Paris-based organization.

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The gender pay gap has not changed in the last decade despite better policies for working parents, pay transparency, and quota systems aimed at increasing the number of women on boards and in high positions.

– Every country has its own barriers to achieving gender equality, and for real change to occur, we must change public policies along with stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors, emphasizes OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria in a statement.

Taking a career break after the birth of a child due to inflexible workplace conditions or gender stereotypes, as well as discrimination against women in the workplace, are key factors preventing women from earning equally to men, the report states.

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In addition to workplace barriers, unequal parental duties, poor political representation, and deeply ingrained social stereotypes also hinder the achievement of gender equality, it adds.

– These inequalities should have been resolved long ago. There is no reason for women to lag behind men in social, economic, and political terms, Gurria said.

– Gender equality is crucial to ensure that women and men can fully contribute to improving societies and economies at home, in the workplace, and in public life, he added.

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If the gender pay gap were reduced by a quarter by 2025, it would increase projected economic growth by one percentage point in OECD countries between 2013 and 2025, the report states.

The think tank adds that global GDP could increase by 2 percent, or about $1.5 trillion, if there were an equal number of women and men engaged in entrepreneurship.

– Considering the weak growth, aging population, and increasingly educated young women, the economic reasons for gender equality are clear, emphasizes Gurria.