the first section examines patterns and trends of female participation and retention in the labour force it also looks at the nature of the positions that women tend to occupy in the labour market and various aspects of the gender gap in unemployment the second section highlights the role of legislative and institutional frameworks in supporting or limiting women s access to employment including provisions on maternity leave and discriminatory laws it also discusses the promotion of women s entrepreneurship which has gained particular momentum in recent years as a strategy to alleviate female poverty and support women s access to gainful employment