## Promoting Gender Equality and Tackling Demographic Challenges

_Gender Notes, June 11, 2024_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Promoting Gender Equality and Tackling Demographic Challenges](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/gender-notes/issues/2024/06/10/promoting-gender-equality-and-tackling-demographic-challenges-549916)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Jiajia Gu, Lisa L Kolovich, Dr. Jorge Mondragon, Monique Newiak, Michael Herrmann
- Published: June 11, 2024
- Series: Gender Notes
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400277788.067

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### Summary
- Two broad contrasting demographic trends present challenges for economies globally: aging populations (often advanced economies and increasingly emerging markets) that anticipate a significant shrinking of the labor force, and rapidly growing populations (many low-income and developing countries) that will face a burgeoning young population entering the labor market in the next decades.
- Gender equality can serve as a stabilizing factor to rebalance demographic trends.
- Decisions regarding fertility, human capital investment, and labor force participation are interlinked; policies should aim at relaxing households’ time and resource constraints that condition these choices.

### Key findings
- Aging populations imply implications for growth, economic stability, and public finances.
- Rapid population growth in low-income and developing countries presents a large potential to reap the demographic dividend if the right skills and economic and social conditions are in place.
- Gender equality is relevant in both demographic scenarios as a factor that can stabilize and rebalance demographic pressures by influencing fertility, human capital accumulation, and labor force participation.

### Policy recommendations
- For advanced economies and emerging markets:
  - Facilitate women’s work–life choices.
  - Boost female participation in the labor market.
- For low-income and developing countries:
  - Focus on reforms that narrow gender gaps in opportunities.
  - Support human capital accumulation to harness the potential demographic dividend.
- General policy objective:
  - Relax households’ time and resource constraints that shape choices on fertility, human capital investment, and labor force participation.

### Publication and metadata
- Title: Promoting Gender Equality and Tackling Demographic Challenges
- Authors: Jiajia Gu, Lisa L Kolovich, Dr. Jorge Mondragon, Monique Newiak, Michael Herrmann
- Publication date: June 11, 2024
- Series: Gender Notes No. 2024/002
- Issue: 002
- Volume: 2024
- Pages: 39
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400277788.067
- Stock No: GNSEA2024002
- ISBN: 9798400277788
- ISSN: 3005-4591
- Format citation (Chicago, as provided): Jiajia Gu, Lisa L Kolovich, Dr. Jorge Mondragon, Monique Newiak, and Michael Herrmann. "Promoting Gender Equality and Tackling Demographic Challenges", Gender Notes 2024, 002 (2024), accessed 9/20/2026, https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400277788.067

*International Monetary Fund — Promoting Gender Equality and Tackling Demographic Challenges (Gender Notes No. 2024/002).*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/gender-notes/issues/2024/06/10/promoting-gender-equality-and-tackling-demographic-challenges-549916_