A Guide To Womenomics Reading Answers

Jan 27, 2023

A Guide To Womenomics Reading Answers contains a write up about Womenomics. A Guide To Womenomics Reading Answers contain a total of 8 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. The paragraphs contain information about several data of women employment and the comparison with men. The importance of womenomics has also been mentioned.

A Guide To Womenomics Reading Answers is an IELTS Reading passage which comprises two types of questions: choose the correct option and associate the paragraph. Candidates must carefully and properly read each paragraph. It is necessary to interpret each text. In order to respond to the questions, you must identify the paragraph's main idea. It's vital to keep in mind the crucial facts. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

A Guide To Womenomics Reading Answers

In rich countries, girls now do better at school than boys, more women are getting university degrees than men arc, and females arc 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.
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, too, 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.
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.
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.
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 arc 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.
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 worlds 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.
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 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 arc women.
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 the decline in fertility has been greatest in several countries where female employment is low.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Question 1-4:

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

New producers, New Consumers
More Work, fewer children?
A better-educated workforce
Women in new, expanding industries

(Guide: Candidates need to study the headings and match the same with the suitable paragraph from A to H )

Question 1. New producers, New Consumers

Answer: Paragraph D
Supporting Sentence: 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.
Keywords: increased employment, global growth, consumers, global marketplace, shopping
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 7th line
Explanation: The seventh statement of paragraph D makes it clear that women are playing a bigger role in both the workforce and the marketplace. Due to the rise in women's employment as workers, even the number of consumers has increased. Women are now free to spend as much as they want because this is their own money that they acquired through their own labor. Therefore, "Paragraph D" is the appropriate response to this heading as per the explanation provided.

Question 2. More Work, fewer children?

Answer: Paragraph H
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: fewer children, work, women work, lower growth
Keyword location: Paragraph H, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph H, it has been stated that it is believed that the more women who work, the fewer children will be born and the slower the long-term growth will be. But the evidence suggests the opposite. According to data, countries with high female labor force participation rates, like Sweden, typically experience a fall in fertility that is largest in numerous nations with low female employment. Thus, the correct answer is H.

Question 3. A better-educated workforce

Answer: Paragraph E
Supporting sentence: In years to come, better-educated women will take more of the top jobs.
Keywords: better-educated women, educated women, better educated, top jobs
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 6th line
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been stated that higher educated women will have more executive positions in the next few years. For instance, more women than men are currently studying to become doctors and attorneys in Britain, but comparatively few become top surgeons or partners in law firms. So, the correct answer is E, as per the explanation provided.

Question 4. Women in new, expanding industries

Answer: Paragraph B
Supporting sentence: 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. In the developing world, more women now have paid jobs.
Keywords: female employment, increase, expanded, developing world
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 1st line
Explanation: It is clear from the first line of paragraph B that more women are finding paid employment in emerging nations. In addition, more women are working, which means that demand for the services provided by these firms is increasing quickly. As a result, answer is in paragraph B as per the explanation provided.

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.

A higher percentage of Italian women have jobs than Japanese women.
More women than men work in Asia’s textile industries.
The value of housework is not included in official statistics.
Research shows that men make more purchasing decisions than women.
Most surgeons in Britain are women.
Firms with more women in senior management offer higher investment returns.
Most illiterate people in the world are women.
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 )

Question: 5. More women than men work in Asia’s textile industries.

Answer: Paragraph B
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: important to success, textile, export sector
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 6th line
Explanation: As per paragraph B, it has been mentioned that more women currently work in paid positions in the underdeveloped countries as well. Asian export industries have benefited greatly from the employment of women, who often make up 60 to 80 percent of the workforce in several export industries including textiles and apparel. So, the correct answer is B as per the explanation provided for the same.

Question 6. The value of housework is not included in official statistics.

Answer: Paragraph C
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: unpaid, worked in the home, cleaning, cooking, official statistics
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 1st line
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been clearly stated that women have traditionally worked outside of the formal workplace, caring for children, cleaning, or cooking; however, as this work is unpaid, it is not included in the statistics. There are fewer hours of unpaid housekeeping now since more women are working in paid jobs. So, the correct answer is C.

Question 7. Firms with more women in senior management offer higher investment returns.

Answer: Paragraph F
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: women in senior management, higher return, return, more women
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 3rd line
Explanation: The third sentence of paragraph F makes it clear that utilizing women's skills is advantageous for the sector. Additionally, there will be a rise in the proportion of women in top management roles because they are typically better at creating teams and communicating. The solution is therefore F as per the explanation provided and the statements of paragraph F.

Question 8. Most illiterate people in the world are women.

Answer: Paragraph G
Supporting sentence: More than two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults arc women.
Keywords: women, illiterate, most illiterate
Keyword location: Paragraph G, Last line
Explanation: The last line of paragraph G makes it apparent that because girls attend school less frequently than boys, women are considered to be the least educated group. So, G is the right response as per the lines of paragraph G and the explanation provided for the same.

Question 9. Some people think that lower birth rates lead to lower economic growth.

Answer: Paragraph H
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: lower growth, fewer children
Keyword location: Paragraph H, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph H, it has been stated that it is believed that the more women who work, the fewer children will be born and the slower the long-term growth will be. But the evidence suggests the opposite. According to data, countries with high female labor force participation rates, like Sweden, typically experience a fall in fertility that is largest in numerous nations with low female employment. Thus, the correct answer is H.

Question 10 -13

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

Since 1950, the percentage of

American women with jobs have increased.
American men with jobs have decreased.
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- A & C
Supporting sentence: 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 feminization of the workplace still has far to go in Italy and Japan, women’s share of jobs is still 40% or less.
Keywords: fallen, men’s employment slid, more women employed
Keyword location: Paragraph A, 5th line
Explanation: As per paragraph A, it has been clearly mentioned that men's employment rates have fallen by 12 percentage points from 1950, to 77%. In fact, there are now more women working than men practically everywhere, and the proportion of males who are employed has decreased. However, there is still a long way to go before the workplace is fully feminized in some nations, such as Italy and Japan, where women still hold 40% or fewer occupations. So, the correct answer is A and C.

Question 11. Economics can get bigger by

Increasing the size of the workforce.
Giving shares to workers.
Using more advanced technology.

Answer: A & C
Supporting sentence: GDP growth can come from three sources employing more people using more capital per worker, or an increase in the productivity of labor and capital due to new technology.
Keywords: GDP growth, employing more people, new technology
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph D, it has been mentioned that three factors can contribute to GDP growth: hiring more people, investing more capital per worker, or raising labor and capital productivity as a result of new technology. Back of the envelope calculations indicate that more women working has contributed more to GDP than both new jobs for males and capital investments as well as greater productivity. So the correct answer is A and C.

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

Building teams
Solving problems
Communicating

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: This might be because mixed teams of men and women are better than single-sex groups at solving problems and spotting external threats.
Keywords: Solving problem, team of men and women}
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 5th line
Explanation: As per paragraph f, it has been clearly stated that it may be due to the fact that mixed teams of men and women are more adept at problem-solving and identifying external dangers than single-sex groups. Additionally, studies have shown that women are frequently more effective than men at forming teams and communicating. So, the correct answer is B as per the explanation provided.

Question 13. Research by the World Economic Forum shows that

Sex equality leads to higher GDP.
There is a connection between sex equality and GDP.
Higher education leads to higher GDP.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: 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.
Keywords: sex equality, world economic forum, GDP
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph G, it has been clearly mentioned that the World Economic Forum discovered a strong link between sex equality and GDP per person in a research conducted last year. Correlation does not establish cause and effect. However, other research has also indicated that gender inequality is detrimental to long-term growth. So, the correct answer is B as per the explanation and statement of paragraph G.

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