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Gender Equality in Costa Rica

Towards a Better Sharing of Paid and Unpaid Work

image of Gender Equality in Costa Rica

The OECD review of Gender Equality in Costa Rica: Towards a Better Sharing of Paid and Unpaid Work is the fourth in a collection of reports focusing on Latin American and the Caribbean countries, and part of the series Gender Equality at Work. The report compares gender gaps in labour and educational outcomes in Costa Rica with other countries. Particular attention is put on the uneven distribution of unpaid work, and the extra burden placed on women. It investigates how policies and programmes in Costa Rica can make this distribution more equitable. The first part of the report reviews the evidence on gender gaps and their causes, including the role played by social norms. The second part develops a comprehensive framework to address these challenges, presenting a broad range of options to reduce the unpaid work burden falling on women, and to increase women’s labour income. Earlier reviews in the same collection have looked at gender equality policies in Chile (2021), Peru (2022) and Colombia (2023).

English Also available in: Spanish

Executive summary

In the past decades, gender equality in Costa Rica has advanced along multiple dimensions. Nevertheless, just as elsewhere in the region and around the world, men and women do not share paid and unpaid work equally, with negative consequences for women’s key economic outcomes. This report reviews evidence on gaps in education and employment between men and women in Costa Rica and in international comparison. It discusses the drivers of these gender differences, highlights variations across socio‑economic groups and proposes a strategic policy framework towards a more gender-equal, sustainable, and productive economy and society.

English Also available in: Spanish

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