A Guide To Womenomics - IELTS Reading Answers

A Guide To Womenomics - IELTS Reading Passage

A. In rich countries, girls now do better at school than boys, more women are getting university degrees than men arc, and females are filling most new jobs. Arguably, women are now the most powerful engine of global growth. In 1950, only one-third of American women of working age had a paid job. Today, two-thirds do, and women make up almost half of America’s workforce. Since 1950, men’s employment rate has slid by 12 percentage points to 77%. In fact, almost everywhere more women are employed, and the percentage of men with jobs has fallen – although in some countries, the feminisation of the workplace still has far to go: in Italy and Japan, women’s share of jobs is still 40% or less.

B. The increase in female employment in developed countries has been aided by a big shift in the type of jobs on offer. Manufacturing work, traditionally a male preserve, has declined while jobs in services have expanded. This has reduced the demand for manual labour and put the sexes on a more equal footing. In the developing world, more women now have paid jobs. In the emerging East Asian economics, forever).’ 100 men in the labour force there are now 83 women, higher even than the average in OECD countries. Women have been particularly important to the success of Asia’s export industries, typically accounting for 60- 80% of jobs in many export sectors, such as textiles and clothing.

C. Of course, it is misleading to talk of women’s “entry” into the workforce. Besides formal employment, women have always worked in the home, looking after children, cleaning or cooking, but because this is unpaid, it is not counted in the official statistics. To some extent, the increase in female-paid employment has meant fewer hours of unpaid housework. However, the value of housework has fallen by much less than the time spent on it because of the increased productivity afforded by dishwashers, washing machines and so forth. Paid nannies and cleaners employed by working women now also do some work that used to belong in the non-market economy.

D. The increase in female employment has also accounted for a big chunk of global growth in recent decades. GDP growth can come from three sources: employing more people, using more capital per worker, or an increase in the productivity of labour and capital due to new technology. Since 1970, women have filled two new jobs for every one taken by a man. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the employment of extra women has not only added more to GDP than new jobs for men but has also chipped in more than either capital investment or increased productivity. Carve up the world’s economic growth a different way, and another surprising conclusion emerges: over the past decade or so, the increased employment of women in developed economies has contributed much more to global growth. Women are becoming more important in the global marketplace, not just as workers but also as consumers, entrepreneurs, managers and investors. Women have traditionally done most of the household shopping, but now they have more money of their own to spend. Surveys suggest that women make perhaps 80% of consumers’ buying decisions – from health care and homes to furniture and food.

E. Women’s share of the workforce has a limit. In America, it has already stalled. However, there will still be a lot of scope for women to become more productive as they make better use of their qualifications. At school, girls consistently get better grades, and in most developed countries, well over half of all university degrees are now being awarded to women. In America, 140 women enrol in higher education each year for every 100 men; in Sweden, the number is as high as 150. (There are, however, only 90 female Japanese students for every 100 males.) In years to come, better-educated women will take more of the top jobs. At present, for example, in Britain, more women than men train as doctors and lawyers, but relatively few are leading surgeons or partners in law firms. The main reason why women still get paid less on average than men is not that they are paid less for the same occupations, such as nursing and teaching. This pattern is likely to change.

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F. Making better use of women’s skills is not just a matter of fairness. Plenty of studies suggest that it is good for business, too. Women account for only 7% of directors on the world's corporate boards – 15% in America but less than 1% in Japan. Yet a study by Catalyst, a consultancy, found that American companies with more women in senior management jobs earned a higher return on equity than those with fewer women at the top. This might be because mixed teams of men and women are better than single-sex groups at solving problems and spotting external threats. Studies have also suggested that women are often better than men at building teams and communicating.

G. In poor countries, too, the underutilisation of women stunts economic growth. A study last year by the World Economic Forum found a clear correlation between sex equality (measured by economic participation, education, health and political empowerment) and GDP per head. Correlation does not prove the direction of causation. However, other studies also suggest that inequality between the sexes harms long-term growth. In particular, there is strong evidence that educating girls boosts prosperity. It is probably the single best investment that can be made in the developing world. Not only are better-educated women more productive, but they also raise healthier, better-educated children. There is huge potential to raise income per head in developing countries, where fewer girls go to school than boys. More than two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women.

H. It is sometimes argued that it is short-sighted to get more women into paid employment. The more women go out to work, it is said, the fewer children there will be, and the lower growth will be in the long run. Yet the facts suggest otherwise. Data shows that countries with high female labour participation rates, such as Sweden, tend to have a decline in fertility, which has been greatest in several countries where female employment is low.

A Guide To Womenomics - Questions and Answers

Question 1-4

The text has 8 paragraphs (A – H). Which paragraph does each of the following headings?

1. New producers, New Consumers

2. More Work, fewer children?

3. A better-educated workforce

4. Women in new, expanding industries

Answer 1: Paragraph D

Explanation 1: According to the 7th line of paragraph D, it is evident that women are becoming more influential in the workforce and business. Even the number of customers has increased due to the rise in women's employment as workers. Since this money was earned by women via their own efforts, they are now able to spend as much as they like. Therefore, according to the explanation given, "Paragraph D" is the proper response to this question.

Answer 2: Paragraph H

Explanation 2: According to the 2nd line of paragraph H, it has been said that the theory holds that long-term growth will be slower and fewer children will be born for every woman who works. However, the data indicate the opposite facts. Data show that nations with high rates of female labour force involvement, such as Sweden, usually see a decline in fertility, with the steepest declines occurring in many countries with low rates of female employment. Thus, H is the right response.

Answer 3: Paragraph E

Explanation 3: As per the 6th line of paragraph E, higher educated women are expected to hold more executive positions in the next years, according to reports. For example, in Britain today, more women than males are pursuing degrees in medicine and law, but relatively few go on to become elite surgeons or partners in legal practices. Therefore, based on the rationale given, the right response is E.

Answer 4: Paragraph B

Explanation 4: According to the 1st line of paragraph B, it is clear that more women are working for pay in developing countries. Furthermore, as more women are employed, the need for the services offered by these businesses is rising swiftly. According to the justification given, the answer can be found in paragraph B.

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Question 5 - 9

According to the text, FIVE of the following statements are true. Write the corresponding letters in answer boxes 5 to 9 in any order.

1. A higher percentage of Italian women have jobs than Japanese women.

2. More women than men work in Asia’s textile industries.

3. The value of housework is not included in official statistics.

4. Research shows that men make more purchasing decisions than women.

5. Most surgeons in Britain are women.

6. Firms with more women in senior management offer higher investment returns.

7. Most illiterate people in the world are women.

8. Some people think that lower birth rates lead to lower economic growth.

(Guide: Candidates need to check 5 statements which are true and write the suitable paragraph beside)

Answer 5: Paragraph B 

Explanation 5: As per the 6th line of paragraph B, there have been reports that more women than men are now employed for pay in developing nations. The employment of women, who frequently make up 60 to 80 per cent of the workforce in various export industries, including textiles and apparel, has substantially helped Asian export industries. So, based on the justification offered, option B is the right response.

Answer 6: Paragraph C

Explanation 6: According to the 1st line of paragraph C, it's been said quite plainly that women have historically worked outside of the typical workplace, taking care of the home, cooking, or cleaning; yet, since this labour is unpaid, it's left out of the statistics. Since more women are employed in paid positions, there are fewer hours of unpaid housework. So, C is the right response.

Answer 7: Paragraph F

Explanation 7: According to the 3rd line of paragraph F, it is evident that the industry benefits from using women's skills. In addition, as women are often better at building teams and communicating, there will be an increase in the percentage of women in senior managerial positions. Therefore, the answer is F according to the justification and the claims made in paragraph F.

Answer 8: Paragraph G

Explanation 8: According to the last line of paragraph G, it is evident that women are regarded as the least educated population because they attend school less frequently than boys. Therefore, according to the given justification, G is the appropriate response.

Answer 9: Paragraph H

Explanation 9: According to the 2nd line of paragraph H, it has been said that the theory holds that long-term growth will be slower and fewer children will be born for every woman who works. However, the data points to the contrary. Data show that nations with high rates of female labour force involvement, such as Sweden, usually see a decline in fertility, with the steepest declines occurring in many countries with low rates of female employment. Thus, H is the right response.

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Question 10 - 13

According to the information given in the text, choose the correct answer or answers from the choices given.

10. Since 1950, the percentage of

1. American women with jobs have increased.

2. American men with jobs have decreased.

3. Japanese and Italian women with jobs have remained stable.

(Guide: Candidates need to study the passage properly and select the correct answer from the list of choices given )

Answer 10: A and C

Explanation 10: According to the 5th line of paragraph A, Men's employment rates have been explicitly stated to have decreased from 77% in 1950 by 12 percentage. In actuality, the percentage of men in the labour force has declined, and there are currently more working women than men almost everywhere. However, in some countries, like Italy and Japan, where women still hold 40% or fewer vocations, there is still a long way to go before the workplace is totally feminised. Therefore, A and C are the right answers.

11: Economics can get bigger by

1. Increasing the size of the workforce.

2. Giving shares to workers.

3. Using more advanced technology.

Answer 11: A and C

Explanation 11: According to the 2nd line of paragraph D, three factors have been identified as having the potential to increase GDP: increasing capital investment per worker, recruiting more workers, or increasing labour and capital productivity due to new technologies. Simple back-of-the-envelop calculations show that the GDP has benefited more from the employment of more women than from capital investments, more jobs for men, or increased productivity. Therefore, A and C are the right answers.

12: Mixed teams of male and female managers are thought to be better at

1. Building teams

2. Solving problems

3. Communicating

Answer 12: B

Explanation 12: According to the 5th line of paragraph F, the possibility that mixed-gender teams are better than single-sex groups at solving problems and spotting outside threats has been made very evident. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that women are typically more adept than men at communicating and building teams. Based on the rationale given, B is the correct response.

13. Research by the World Economic Forum shows that

1. Sex equality leads to higher GDP.

2. There is a connection between sex equality and GDP.

3. Higher education leads to higher GDP.

Answer 13: B

Explanation 13: According to the 2nd line of paragraph G, it is well known that a study carried out by the World Economic Forum last year found a substantial correlation between GDP per person and female equality. Cause and effect cannot be established by correlation. Nonetheless, several studies have also demonstrated that gender disparity is harmful to sustained development. Therefore, based on the justification and assertion in paragraph G, the right response is B.

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Conclusion

It is advised that before diving into the questions, take a quick look at the passage to get a sense of its topic, structure, and main ideas. Then, carefully read the questions and attempt them.

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