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Gender gaps are known to persist in social and economic outcomes in most countries, but less well known is how women and men perceive their economic security and their benefits from social programs.

Research in the International Social Security Review investigated this topic through surveys completed by individuals in 27 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.

Survey responses indicated that, compared with men, women are more concerned about economic security and less confident that their country's social protection system will support them. About half of women felt that they could not easily receive public benefits if they needed them, compared with 43% of men.

This perceived inaccessibility likely reflects gender gaps in perceived hassles associated with social program applications as well as women's lower social security contributions.

"Women were less satisfied with the accessibility and adequacy of social programs relative to men," said corresponding author Valerie Frey, Ph.D., MPhil, senior economist at the OECD, in France.

"Much of this likely derives from gender gaps in social security contributions, but at the same time, some social programs that appear to promote gender equality nevertheless inadvertently disadvantage women. We hope this study will encourage social ministries to apply more of a 'gender lens' in their program design and reform."