could help in the empowerment of women in other spheres of life, including the household, provided that a balance between family and work could be achieved. Arrangements to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family responsibilities were urgently needed. Notably, where parental leave policies and flexible hours were available to both women and men, the situation had improved. 89. The unequal distribution between women and men of unpaid work was noted. The tendency for women to be employed in low-wage industries and the necessity of looking into the minimum-wage level were discussed. Better sharing of paid and unpaid work between women and men was required. While unpaid work was recognized as important by Governments, few efforts had been made to develop methodologies to measure such work, yet its measurement was necessary in order for society to recognize women’s full contribution to the economy. 90. In most cases, the current challenge for policy makers, employers, trade unions and women workers was to achieve a balance between more jobs and more quality jobs in the labour market. It was noted that atypical forms of employment were leading to a growing feminization of poverty, especially among older women. 91. Concern was expressed regarding the efficiency of legislative tools, including equal-opportunity and non-discriminatory laws, in redressing gender discrimination in the labour market. Gender-neutral policies, such as equal employment opportunity laws, were not sufficient in this regard. Legislative tools needed to be accompanied by enforcement mechanisms and publicity generated about businesses that violated anti-discrimination laws. Special protective measures for women were seen to have both positive and adverse effects; in some countries protective measures for women were being abolished. 92. To overcome occupational segregation, many projects and programmes were being developed to broaden the fields studied by women. A strong focus was being given to education and training in technology as well as in new growth industries and sectors. Other measures such as fellowships and child-care arrangements had been promoted to facilitate women’s access to academic institutions. 93. It was noted that occupational segregation contributed to the wage gap between women and men. In order to enforce the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, policies should include effective legislation, transparency of women’s and men’s wages, changing of stereotyped choices of women and men, and effective guidance for employers. Instruments were being developed to compare wages for female-dominated and male-dominated occupations. Schemes for work evaluation had been suggested to facilitate this process. 94. Transnational corporations applied double standards by implementing different equal-opportunity standards in wages and working conditions abroad from those supported in their own countries, largely to the detriment of women employees. 95. The role that non-governmental organizations played in monitoring working conditions for women and abuses in the labour market was stressed. Globalization and structural adjustment 96. While it was recognized that an enabling environment for women’s participation in the economy was required at the national level, it was also -46-