As the ‘Future of Work’ is being discussed around the world, women continue to be the most under-utilised and potentially game-changing factor for a fair and prosperous economy. Countries in the Asia and the Pacific region, whether high or low income, can no longer afford to lose out on the social and economic potential of gender equality. However gender equality and women’s full participation are often missing from the policy debates.

Recent research shows that if women’s participation was increased by 25% by 2025, $US5.8 trillion would be added to the global economy, 1.5 trillion US to government revenues, in addition to benefits to the welfare of women and their families (ILO, 2017). A recent ILO-Gallup report confirmed that the majority of women and men worldwide would prefer that women work in paid jobs and find it acceptable for women to have paid work outside of the home.

To examine the opportunities and challenges of the future at work for women, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Australian Government’s Department of Employment (DOE) are organizing a regional ‘Women and the Future of Work’ conference in Bangkok, Thailand in early 2018. The conference recommendations will be submitted to the Global Commission on the Future of Work  and contribute to the ‘Women at Work’  initiative as a specific input into policy debates regarding the future of work in the Asia and the Pacific region.

Conference papers from the recent Call for proposals  will be a contribution into this meeting.

Selected Resource documents:

• ILO-Gallup Poll  
• World Employment Social Outlook: Trends for Women 2017 
• Women at work: Trends 2016  
• Women in Business and Management: Gaining Momentum