Reflecting their weaker labour force attachment and lower earnings, women consistently report feeling greater economic insecurity than men across countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Results from the cross-national OECD Risks that Matter Survey illustrate that similar gender gaps emerge in perceptions of social protection systems: women are far less confident than men in their ability to access adequate benefits and services when they need them, both in working age and old age. This perceived inaccessibility likely reflects gender gaps in “hassle costs” associated with social programme applications and intra-household allocations of administrative burden, but it also likely reflects women’s lower social security contributions. This paper illustrates gender gaps in the design of social programmes and suggests ways by which governments can better mainstream gender when improving the accessibility and adequacy of social protection.
