<figure class="article_featured_media content_media_fixed">
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        <source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/db/d5/81/female-field-workers.jpg 960w">
        <source media="(min-width: 410px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/db/d5/81/female-field-workers.jpg 768w">
        <source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 409px)" sizes="500px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w500-q80/upload/db/d5/81/female-field-workers.jpg 500w">
        <img id="featured_media" src="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1200/upload/db/d5/81/female-field-workers.jpg" alt="Female farm workers, such as these in Vietnam's Mekong River Valley, work long hours for volatile, often low, pay." fetchpriority="high"/>
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    <figcaption>Female farm workers, such as these in Vietnam's Mekong River Valley, often work long hours for volatile, low pay.</figcaption>
</figure>

<section>
    <p>The conditions for women in the workforce can be grim, especially in many regions of Africa and in various developing countries around the globe. For instance, in Suriname, only **1%** of women hold jobs with a fixed salary. Other countries, including Ethiopia (**7.8%**), Tanzania (**10.7%**), and Uganda (**13.4%**), also reflect low percentages of women receiving structured pay. Similarly, developing nations in Asia and Eastern Europe, such as Azerbaijan (**29.2%**) and Vietnam (**29.4%**), show significant income instability for women.</p>
</section>

<h3>Why Do Women Receive Unstructured Pay in These Countries?</h3>

<section>
    <p>Suriname offers a telling example, where **60%** of the workforce is organized and **50%** benefit from set wages. However, societal norms compel women to fulfill traditional roles at home, contributing to the unpaid domestic labor pool. This expectation impacts their professional opportunities and results in limited access to education and skill development, leaving them unprepared to compete for jobs against men.</p>

    <p>Furthermore, women's property ownership is often constrained, significantly impeding their ability to secure capital for entrepreneurial ventures. As a result, many women are left with unskilled labor options, perpetuating the cycle of low-income jobs.</p>
</section>

<h3>Jobs Women Perform in the Informal Sector</h3>

<section>
    <p>Globally, women disproportionately occupy positions in the informal sector. Although both men and women are typically underpaid in this sector, the wage gap tends to widen. In many developing countries, self-employment through street vending is a common income source for women. Notably, **75%** of street vendors worldwide are women. These informal jobs offer little to no wage stability, as they often operate on a contractual or casual basis.</p>

    <p>Home-based employment is crucial for **85%** of women around the world, allowing them to contribute economically while fulfilling familial roles. Yet, they find themselves at the bottom of global supply chains, where their labor is exploited and wages are driven down due to increasing competition from global markets. In Indonesia, for instance, **99%** of workers are in the informal sector, with women comprising roughly **50%**. Despite their significant contributions, women in these roles frequently earn less than their male counterparts and face considerable barriers to career progression.</p>
</section>

<h3>Lack of Government Wage Regulations</h3>

<section>
    <p>While many countries have legislative frameworks intended to support fair wages for women, the implementation often falls short. In Tanzania, for example, laws ensuring minimum wages coexist alongside pervasive gender discrimination in hiring practices and wage disparities. As governments shift towards privatization in response to market liberalization, the ability to regulate working conditions weakens, worsening the economic security of women.</p>

    <p>The lack of protections directly translates into survival challenges for older women, with **22%** likely to retire in poverty—a stark contrast to **16%** for men. This disparity reveals the long-term consequences of insufficient wage security throughout women’s careers.</p>
</section>

<h2>Countries Where Women Are Least Likely to Receive a Set Wage or Salary</h2>
<div id="article_table" class="mod_excess excess_show_desktop">
    <table data-role="table">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Rank</th>
                <th>Country</th>
                <th>% of Working Women Receiving a Set Wage or Salary</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr><td>1</td><td>Suriname</td><td>1.0%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>2</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>7.8%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>3</td><td>Tanzania</td><td>10.7%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>4</td><td>Uganda</td><td>13.4%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>5</td><td>Azerbaijan</td><td>29.2%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>6</td><td>Vietnam</td><td>29.4%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>7</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>33.0%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>8</td><td>Albania</td><td>36.9%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>9</td><td>Georgia</td><td>38.4%</td></tr>
            <tr><td>10</td><td>Thailand</td><td>40.7%</td></tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</div>

<div class="article_byline">
    <span><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/contributor/vijayalaxmi-kinhal" class="content_contributor"><span>Vijayalaxmi Kinhal</span></a> <time datetime="2017-04-25">April 25, 2017</time> in <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/society/">Society</a></span>
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