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PRIORITYMEASURE32
“Extend social protectionand social security systems, witha gender perspective, to include thosewomenwho have devoted their lives toproductivework,
whether as domesticworkers, women in rural areas or informal workers.”
Possible lines of action
1. Ensure that the objective of gender equality is a special motivation in the process of reforming and extending social protection and social
security systems; 2. Adopt special programmes to guarantee coverage for women who have devoted their lives to productive work, as domestic
workers, women in rural areas or informal workers; 3. Assess the impact on women of pension reforms that have reinforced the link between
benefits received by contributors and their working life; 4. Promulgate legislation to guarantee that time taken away from the labour market to
provide care services is properly credited in the pension systems; 5. Promote legislation to ensure that divorce and separation do not penalize
women in the social protection and social security systems.
Target
1. Social protection and social security systems have a gender focus, and include women who have devoted their lives to productive work, as
domesticworkers, women in rural areas or informalworkers.
Tentative indicators
1. Percentage of female domestic workers covered by social protection and social security systems; 2. Percentage of rural women covered by
social protection and social security systems; 3. Percentage of female informalworkers covered by social protection and social security systems.
Related instruments,
forums andmechanisms
Comments
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (article 9) provides that “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize
the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance”, a provision that implicitly includes recognition of the right to old-age benefits.
TheCommittee onEconomic, Social andCultural Rights has declared (General Comment 6) that “in so far as respect for the rights of older persons
requires specialmeasures tobe taken, States parties are requiredby theCovenant todo so to themaximumof their available resources.”
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination againstWomen, in its General RecommendationNo. 27 on older women and protection of
their human rights, includes a specific section on work and pensions entitlements, in which it declares the following: “
States parties have an
obligation to facilitate the participation of olderwomen in paidworkwithout facing any discrimination based on their age and sex. States parties
should ensure that special attention is paid to overcome problems that older womenmight face in their working life and that they are not forced
into early retirement or similar solutions. States parties should alsomonitor the impact of gender pay gaps on older women. States parties have
an obligation to ensure that retirement ages in both the public and private sectors do not discriminate against women. Consequently, States
parties have an obligation to ensure that pension policies do not discriminate against women, even when they opt to retire early, and that all
older women who worked have access to adequate pensions. States parties should adopt all appropriate measures, including, where necessary,
temporary special measures, to guarantee such pensions. States parties should ensure that older women, including those who have responsibility
for the care of children, have access to appropriate social and economic benefits such as childcare benefits, as well as access to all necessary
support when caring for elderly parents or relatives. States parties should provide adequate non-contributory pensions on an equal basis with
men to all womenwho have no other pension or insufficient income security and State-provided allowances should be available and accessible to
olderwomen, particularly those living in remote or rural areas
.”
SDG target 1.3: “Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve
substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.”
SDG target 5.4: “Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social
protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibilitywithin the household and the family as nationally appropriate.”
