Higher Growth When More Women Work

Christine Lagarde

“Employers who don’t offer equal opportunities to women simply ignore a large part of the skilled workforce. In many countries, growth could be much higher if more women were in paid employment. In Japan, for example, raising the female labour force participation rate to Northern European levels would permanently raise per capita GDP by 8 per cent. Women also have great entrepreneurial potential. For instance, women-owned companies represent between 30 and 40 per cent of formal small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets. Also, raising women’s incomes will improve education levels, as research shows that women spend a larger share of their income on the welfare of their children.”

Christine Lagarde, President, IMF

International Women’s Day, March 8th 2013


You may have an interest in also reading…

Which European Countries are the Most Active Online?

The Netherlands leads the field with a score of 9.01 – or 99.27 percent of residents – regularly using the

Film Review – Blonde: Is Marilyn Biopic a Bombshell … or a Bust?

“Monroe is more than a sex symbol in new film”, one headlined review of Blonde declares. That must be why

Modest, Frugal, Retiring, and Famous for Being Anonymous: the Founder of Zara, Amancio Ortega

By TONY LENNOX When the famously private Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega finally gave his consent to a biography, he had