This document summarizes a lecture on gender and the knowledge economy in South Asia. The lecture discusses how the knowledge economy relies on populations with strong STEM skills, but that gender gaps exist in these fields despite more equal opportunities. New skills like communication, leadership, and lifelong learning are important for employment but women face disadvantages developing these skills. The lecture also overviewed different approaches to skills development in South Asia, including strengthening technical vocational education and training systems, fostering knowledge intensity through workforce training, and developing local skills ecosystems. Student-led discussion topics focused on positive discrimination, constraints on women in formal labor markets, and gender gaps in the knowledge economy representing missed opportunities.

1. Gender & Economy-Lecture Four
A Lecture at Department of Conflict, Peace and
Development Studies, TU
‘Gender Division of Labour and New Skills in South Asia’
Date: 06/06/2016
Lecture By Keshab Giri

2. Lecture One: Gender and Economy
 Building Conceptual Framework: Startling Facts Unheard before
 Status of Women in a State and Prosperity and Security of that State
 Why Gender Equality is a must for Smart Economy? Some Statistics and
Stories
 Supposed Drawbacks of Gender Equality & Women’s Employment
 Gender Equality in Nepal
 Conclusion

3. Lecture Two: Changing Livelihood
Strategies Changing Labour Market
Perspective
 Meaning of the Terminologies
 Livelihood Strategies & Gender
 Gender and Labour Market
 Conclusion

4. Lecture Three: Women Participation in
Labour Market
 Women in Labour Market in different Economic Ages
 Women in Labour Market: Overview and Characteristics
 Women in Labour Market in Asia, South Asia, and Nepal
 Women in Labour Market: Benefits and Costs
 Reasons behind lesser participation of Women in Labour Market and Ways to
Overcome them.
 Conclusion

5. Today’s Lecture
 Gender and Knowledge Economy
 New Skills for the New Age characterised by Knowledge Economy
 New Approaches in South Asia for New Skill Development
 Conclusion
 Student-led Discussion

6. Different Economic Ages
Agro-Economy
Industrial Economy
Service Economy
Knowledge Economy
Disclaimer: Just for Illustration Purpose

7. Women in Knowledge Economy
Knowledge Economy
 Use of Brain than Brawn
Non-Standard Working Hours
 Spatial Flexibility
 But Job Insecurity?
 Male Outnumber Female in STI Education.
Even Lower levels of women in the skilled technology
workforce in the private sector (UNESCO, 2007)
 Women’s progression high level decision making
position/management position peters out in STEM/STI

8. Women in Knowledge Economy
Knowledge Economy
 Such Knowledge Divide is even worse in Developing
Countries (WISAT, 2012)
Despite similar abilities, less women graduates in STEM.
Female parity in the science, technology and
innovation fields is greater when women have greater
parity in countries with government policies that support
health and childcare, equal pay, and gender mainstreaming.
While women’s enrolment in bio and health-related
sciences is high in general, female representation drops
dramatically in physics and engineering, and in the
transition to the S&E workforce.

9. New Skills in New Age
 We already learned the importance of STEM or STI in today’s Knowledge Economy.
 But now, only graduation certificate is not enough! “The heyday when a high school
or college education would serve a graduate for a lifetime is gone; basic credentials, by
themselves, are not enough to ensure success in the workplace...Workers must be
equipped not simply with technical know-how but also the ability to create, analyse, and
transform information and to interact effectively with others. Moreover, learning will
increasingly be a lifelong activity.” – Alan Greenspan, 2000 quoted in Gupta (2007:
153).

10. New Skills in New Age
“Where traditionally literacy and numeracy skills were adequate for the purposes of
operating machines or working on assembly lines, workers in the knowledge economy
need to be able to communicate effectively, possess strong leadership skills, be
good at problem-solving, proficient in the use of computers and engage in lifelong
learning”- Nabanita Datta Gupta (2007: 153).
 Gender gap in those new skills and competencies has in some countries given way to
gap in wages between male and female (Arulampalam et al., 2007).
 Example: Negotiation Skills- less likely to form Trade Union, compliant, less
network, less partisan, etc. As a result weak voice for pay rise with management.

11. New Skills in New Age
 Importance of Life-long Learning in New Economy aka Knowledge Economy.
 It is now essential that the Formal Education/Trainings must be complemented/updated by
Non-Formal and Informal learning:
Formal education and training includes structured programs that are recognized by the formal
education system and lead to approved certificates.
Non-Formal education and training includes structured programs that are not formally
recognized by the national system. Examples include apprenticeship training programs and
structured on-the-job training.
Informal education and training includes unstructured learning, which can take place almost
anywhere, including the home, community, or workplace. It includes unstructured on-the-job
training, the most common form of workplace learning.

12. Skill Development Approaches in South
Asia
Integrating Skills
and
Technologies for
Green Growth
Fostering
Knowledge
Intensity through
Workforce
Training
Developing Local
Skills Ecosystems
Strengthening
TVET Systems
Skill Development
Approaches
Source: OECD, 2012:
Skills Development
Pathways in Asia.

13. Conclusion
 Knowledge Economy hinges on availability of population with high skills in STEM/STI
 Growing Competition in Labour Market means formal graduation certificate is not
adequate for gainful employment in many cases.
 New skills becoming increasingly relevant in employment.
 It could be achieved through various pathways- Formal, Informal, and Non-Formal.
 Gender Gap also pervades in Knowledge Economy despite relatively level playing field for
both sexes.

14. Selected Bibliography
Gupta, Nabanita Datta (2007) Are women falling behind in the new economy? Gender
gaps in new skills and competencies. SWEDISH ECONOMIC POLICY REVIEW, 14,
pp.151-189.
Heidi Gottfried, Karin Gottschall, Mari Osawa, Sylvia Walby, eds. Gendering the
Knowledge Economy: Comparative Perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan,
2007.
ILO (2016) Women at Work: Trends 2016. Geneva: ILO Office.
Kelkar, Govind (2005) Development Effectiveness through Gender Mainstreaming:
Gender Equality and Poverty Reduction in South Asia. Economic and Political Weekly,
40(44/45), pp. 4690-4699.
ILO and ADB (2011) Women and Labour Markets in Asia: Rebalancing towards
Gender Equality in Labour Markets in Asia. Bangkok: ILO Regional Office for Asia and
Pacific and ADB.
 OECD (2012) Skills Development Pathways in Asia. OECD & LEEDS.

15. Question Time
Please introduce yourself before presenting your question.
Do try to make it brief and precise.

16. Student Led Discussion: Rules
House-keeping Rules:
1.Discussion must be related to the lectures.
2.Student will be given three minutes at maximum to present his/her point
of view. No other student will be allowed to speak during presentation.
3.Arguments must be well informed. Student must substantiate his/her
views with researches already done or with evidences (provide
reference: name of author, year, etc.).
4.Raise your hand if you want to contribute to the discussion
5.Only speak on your turn.
6.No personal arguments please!

17. Student Led Discussion: Topics
1. Is Positive Discrimination valid to achieve Gender Equality (such
as Quota and Reservation)? References to Tax Codes, Maternity
Leave, Employment, etc.
2.Less Women in Formal Labour, Senior Executive Positions, in High-
Paying jobs, and less women employers. Choice or Constraint?
3.Less Women in Knowledge Economy: Missed Opportunity?

18. Thank you
Thank you for your Patience!