Using I-O Psychology to Improve the Plight of Women in Developing Countries: A Research Agenda 1

Almost 70% of the world’s poor are women (Martin, 2008). Women are more likely than men to be in low-paid and vulnerable jobs worldwide (ILO, 2008). In Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, for example, 80% of women workers are considered to be in vulnerable employment, with global economic changes taking a huge toll on their livelihood (UN Women, 2011). The inequality between women and men is most severe in developing countries, specifically with regard to health, life expectancy at birth, quality of life, workload, education, legal rights, and economic mobility (Bryan & Varat, 2008; Dollar & Gatti, 1999; Klasen, 2000; Park, 2007; Witwer, 1997; World Conference on Women, 1995; among others).