The Department of Labor and Investigation presents its most recent data on women in the labor market

It is also a day on which we recommit to the actions required to accelerate equality for women.

Today, the Department of Labor and Investigation (DAO) wants to highlight the essential contribution of women to the Aruban economy.

The commitment of Aruba is to take the necessary actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with one of their goals being equality for women. The UN SDGs consist of 17 goals with the purpose of further balanced development for countries around the world. For this special occasion, the DAO wants to illustrate the importance of SDG #5 (Gender Equality) and SDG #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

This year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and United Nations (UN) theme for International Women's Day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. It highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls. 

Innovation, technological changes, and education in this digital era are crucial, and the emphasis is on women in developing countries. The objective is to encourage women to participate in ‘science, technology, engineering and math’ (STEM), to get innovation-related jobs.

Inequality based on gender reproduces in different ways and settings. In addition to holding a job, many women also do household duties. For women who have full-time jobs, this is considered their second shift. Once they complete their regular job, they start their second full-time job at home. For decades, the social values and norms imposed have been out of balance in households. Women invest more time in their family and home care compared to men. In developed countries, women invest approximately one and a half hours more doing household work per day, compared to men, according to data published by the UN.

The contribution to the economy of Aruba is not solely the participation of women in the labor market. What women do in their homes to facilitate daily functioning and society's well-being is essential to our economy. It is challenging to put a monetary value on everything women do at home and for their families. Sadly this is not acknowledged enough.

The following illustration provides an overview of the developments of female employees in the labor market.

The DAO congratulates all women on this special day for their extraordinary achievements and contribution to the development of the labor market in Aruba.