governments increasingly recognise that there is a strong economic case for gender equality oecd a much of their equality action focuses on equality between men and women in employment and paid work and the gender gaps related to employment and pay chapter are among the most widely used indicators of gender equality women in all oecd countries devote more time to unpaid child care and housework than their male partners also see bittman etal as a result they may struggle to enter the labour force and for those who are employed to advance professionally