Climate Change Impact and Structural Reforms in Kiribati
KIRIBATI
Table 1. Kiribati: Selected Indicator on Gender Equality
Indicators (percent if not indicated)
Education
Male
Female
Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary
96
Adjusted net enrollment rate, lower secondary
77
Adjusted net enrollment rate, upper secondary
48
585
95
82
57
Difficulty in writing (% of population 12+)
18.9
15.9
Difficulty in reading (% of population 12+)
18.7
15.9
Health
Life expectancy at birth (years)
64.3
72.3
Mortality rate, under 5 (per 1,000 live births, child)
53.9
45.0
Labor
Labor force participation rate
Formality rate
Unemployment rate
Proportion in Managerial Position
Proportion in National Parliament
54.4
40.5
41.4
49.3
10.5
12.4
62.8
37.2
93.5
6.5
Living standard*
Average annual per capita income (AUD)
3,627
1,881
Average annual per capita expenditure (AUD)
3,095
1,652
Sources: World Development Indicators; 2020 Kiribati Census Report; 2019 Kiribati Household
and Income Survey; and IMF staff calculations.
* All indicators of living standard are calculated for male- and female-head households using
household data.
Breakdown of Employment by Industry
(In percent of total male and female population, 2020)
120
100
80
60
Agriculture & Fisheries
■S/Retails
S/Education & Health
Mining & manufacturing
■S/public admin & support services
■S/Other
2. Despite the higher educational enrollment rates, females have lower labor force
participation rate and face higher risks of unemployment. Women in Kiribati account for a
disproportionate share of unpaid work. They are found to spend three to eight hours per day for
domestic work compared to the "infrequent"
assistance role of men in doing housework
(Caulfield, 2018). Greater time spent on
domestic work could partially explain why
the labor force participation rate for females
is approximately 14 percentage points (ppts)
lower than that of males. 3 The difference,
however, is smaller than most of other
countries in the region (Figure 1, left panel).
According to the 2020 Kiribati Census
Report, the female unemployment rate in
2020 was about 2 ppts higher than the male
rate, although this gender gap is at lower
end in the Pacific Islands region (Figure 1, right panel). Gender differences in types of employment
by sector exist as well, with more women than men working in public services sectors such as
administrative, education, and health while men mostly engage in fisheries and agriculture (text
60
40
40
20
20
0
Male
Female
Sources: 2020 Kiribati Census Report; and IMF staff calculations.
Low female labor force participation rate could also result from barriers in terms of parenthood and access to credit
and property (see Section C for more details).
32 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDView entire presentation