This policy brief summarises key findings on gender gaps in paid and unpaid work, from the OECD report Gender equality in a changing world: taking stock and moving forward, identifying relevant social, economic and institutional factors preventing gender equality. It closes with relevant policy options to reduce gender gaps in paid and unpaid work.

Key findings

• Compared to men, women have lower employment rates, are more likely to work part-time, spend fewer hours to paid work, and spend more hours in unpaid work.
• Differences in women’s and men’s outcomes reflect gender norms and stereotypes around paid and unpaid work, which interact with social, policy and economic environments to disadvantage women in the labour market.
• To close these gender gaps, governments need to commit to (or advance upon) commitments to work-life balance policies and equal pay and pay transparency policies, among other gender-equality measures.