Download: Full Report | Data Sources, Sector Mapping, and Methodology
Jobs are the most reliable pathway out of poverty. They provide incomes, dignity, and stability, while strengthening communities and expanding opportunities for women. Recognizing the central role of employment in economic transformation, the World Bank Group (WBG) Jobs Council has identified five strategic sectors with strong potential to generate local jobs at scale: agribusiness, healthcare, infrastructure and energy, tourism, and value-added manufacturing.
This snapshot assessment asks a fundamental question: Where are women in these sectors today? It draws on the latest available labor market data from International Labour Organization Statistics (ILOSTAT), as well as complementary datasets from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), Lightcast, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Harvard Growth Lab.
When combined, the five sectors account for between 47 to 66 percent of total employment across regions, highlighting their importance for job creation and economic development. However, women’s participation varies substantially across sectors. This infographic snapshot provides a baseline for understanding women’s position in the five strategic sectors prioritized for job creation. While women already play an important role across several sectors, their participation remains constrained by occupational segregation, skill gaps, informality, and limited representation in higher-value segments of production.
The analysis provides a basis for a deeper investigation of gender dynamics within these sectors — including constraints, enabling policies, and private-sector opportunities — which is essential to identify pathways for expanding women’s access to quality jobs in these growing industries.
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