 Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals Gender Equality How does gender inequality affect the economy? Gender inequality is a worldwide phenomenon that is costing the global economy trillions of dollars. From 1999 to 2010, the number of people living in developing countries has drastically decreased, going from 47% to 22%. These countries marginalize and discriminate against women and face the issue of an aging and shrinking workforce. In the less fortunate countries, women face other issues, such as dying during childbirth. Changing the way women are treated in the workplace will have a direct, positive impact on the global economy. Closing the gender gap would raise the gross domestic product of many countries, including the United States, Japan, and Egypt by billions of dollars each. For wealthier countries, adding women to the workplace would offset the previous mentioned workforce issues. Across the world, 97% of countries state that they have some sort of program or policy in place to address gender inequality. However, without political backing, women will not be able to effectively do their jobs. It's up to everyone to do their part to make the world a better place for women to work and to help improve the economy.