THE POWER OF PARITY: HOW ADVANCING …

THE POWER OF PARITY: HOW ADVANCING WOMEN'S EQUALITY CAN ADD $12 TRILLION TO GLOBAL GROWTH

SEPTEMBER 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the 25 years since its founding, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has sought to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. As the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, MGI aims to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on which to base management and policy decisions. MGI research combines the disciplines of economics and management, employing the analytical tools of economics with the insights of business leaders. Our "micro-to-macro" methodology examines microeconomic industry trends to better understand the broad macroeconomic forces affecting business strategy and public policy. MGI's in-depth reports have covered more than 20 countries and 30 industries. Current research focuses on six themes: productivity and growth, natural resources, labor markets, the evolution of global financial markets, the economic impact of technology and innovation, and urbanization. Recent reports have assessed global flows; the economies of Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, and Japan; China's digital transformation; India's path from poverty to empowerment; affordable housing; the effects of global debt; and the economics of tackling obesity. MGI is led by three McKinsey & Company directors: Richard Dobbs, James Manyika, and Jonathan Woetzel. Michael Chui, Susan Lund, and Jaana Remes serve as MGI partners. Project teams are led by the MGI partners and a group of senior fellows, and include consultants from McKinsey & Company's offices around the world. These teams draw on McKinsey & Company's global network of partners and industry and management experts. In addition, leading economists, including Nobel laureates, act as research advisers. The partners of McKinsey & Company fund MGI's research; it is not commissioned by any business, government, or other institution. For further information about MGI and to download reports, please visit mgi.

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THE POWER OF PARITY: HOW ADVANCING WOMEN'S EQUALITY CAN ADD $12 TRILLION TO GLOBAL GROWTH

SEPTEMBER 2015

Jonathan Woetzel | Shanghai Anu Madgavkar | Mumbai Kweilin Ellingrud | Minneapolis Eric Labaye | Paris Sandrine Devillard | Paris Eric Kutcher | Silicon Valley James Manyika | San Francisco Richard Dobbs | London Mekala Krishnan | Stamford

IN BRIEF

THE POWER OF GLOBAL GENDER PARITY

Narrowing the global gender gap in work would not only be equitable in the broadest sense but could double the contribution of women to global GDP growth between 2014 and 2025. Delivering that impact, however, will require tackling gender equality in society.

MGI has mapped 15 gender equality indicators for 95 countries and finds that 40 of them have high or extremely high levels of gender inequality on at least half of the indicators. The indicators fall into four categories: equality in work, essential services and enablers of economic opportunity, legal protection and political voice, and physical security and autonomy.

We consider a "full-potential" scenario in which women participate in the economy identically to men, and find that it would add up to $28 trillion, or 26 percent, to annual global GDP in 2025 compared with a business-as-usual scenario. This impact is roughly equivalent to the size of the combined US and Chinese economies today. We also analyzed an alternative "best-in-region" scenario in which all countries match the rate of improvement of the best-performing country in their region. This would add as much as $12 trillion in annual 2025 GDP, equivalent in size to the current GDP of Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined, or twice the likely growth in global GDP contributed by female workers between 2014 and 2025 in a business-as-usual scenario.

Both advanced and developing countries stand to gain. In 46 of the 95 countries analyzed, the bestin-region outcome could increase annual GDP in 2025 by more than 10 percent over the businessas-usual case, with the highest relative boost in India and Latin America.

MGI's new Gender Parity Score, or GPS, measures the distance each country has traveled toward gender parity, which is set at 1.00. The regional GPS is lowest in South Asia (excluding India) at 0.44 and highest in North America and Oceania at 0.74. Using the GPS, MGI has established a strong link between gender equality in society, attitudes and beliefs about the role of women, and gender equality in work. The latter is not achievable without the former two elements. We found virtually no countries with high gender equality in society but low gender equality in work. Economic development enables countries to close gender gaps, but progress in four areas in particular-- education level, financial and digital inclusion, legal protection, and unpaid care work--could help accelerate progress.

MGI has identified ten "impact zones" (issue-region combinations) where effective action would move more than 75 percent of women affected by gender inequality globally closer to parity. The global impact zones are blocked economic potential, time spent in unpaid care work, fewer legal rights, political underrepresentation, and violence against women, globally pervasive issues. The regional impact zones are low labor-force participation in quality jobs, low maternal and reproductive health, unequal education levels, financial and digital exclusion, and girl-child vulnerability, concentrated in certain regions of the world.

Six types of intervention are necessary to bridge the gender gap: financial incentives and support; technology and infrastructure; the creation of economic opportunity; capability building; advocacy and shaping attitudes; and laws, policies, and regulations. We identify some 75 potential interventions that could be evaluated and tailored to suit the social and economic context of each impact zone and country.

Tackling gender inequality will require change within businesses as well as new coalitions. The private sector will need to play a more active role in concert with governments and non-governmental organizations--and companies could benefit both directly and indirectly by taking action.

The economic case for gender parity

$28 trillion

of additional annual GDP in 2025 in the full-potential scenario of bridging the gender gap...

... equivalent to the combined US and China economies today.

$12 trillion could be added in 2025 if all countries matched their best-in-region country in progress toward gender parity.

Equal to 2x the likely contribution of women to global GDP growth in the business-as-usual scenario

McKinsey Global Institute's Gender Parity Score points to where 95 countries stand on gender parity.

0.71

0.67

Eastern Europe,

Western

Central Asia

Europe

0.48

Middle East,

0.61 0.44 China

N. Africa

0.57

0.48 0.62 South Asia (excl. India) East & South

India

East Asia (excl.

China)

Sub-Saharan

Africa

0.74

North America,

Oceania?

0.64

Latin America

These countries, grouped into 10 regions, are home to

93% of the world's female population.

Gender inequality (1.00 = gender parity)

High

Extremely high

We linked economic potential to 15 outcome-based indicators in 4 categories...

Equality in work

Essential services and enablers of economic opportunity

Legal protection and political voice

Physical security and autonomy

...and identified the largest concentrations of gender gaps around the world to prioritize for action.

10 >75% impact zones, covering

of women affected by gender inequality globally

Our research for the first time links gender equality in society with gender equality in work. The latter is not possible without the former.

? Oceania = Australia and New Zealand.

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