World Survey on the Role of Women in Development 2019

This publication focuses on the ways in which the nexus of time and income poverty shapes or constraints the lives of women. It argues that addressing this double bind is critical to achieving sustainable development, particularly in low-income contexts, and presents an integrated policy agenda for doing so. The report finds large gender gaps in extreme poverty rates, especially between the ages of 25 and 34, coinciding with the phase of life oriented around family formation and child-rearing. During this phase, women and their households face increased expenses associated with having children, while also experiencing constraints on the time they have available for engaging in paid work. To address this double bind, public action must be geared towards supporting women at critical stages of their life course in an integrated manner through a combination of gender-responsive social protection and labour market interventions, as well as investments in time-saving public services (e.g. childcare, transport) and basic infrastructure.