A/HRC/44/51/Add.1 and local levels, on the design and implementation of interventions. Data collection, the assessment of policies and the implementation of the national strategic framework for the integration of Roma people are key elements of its work. IV. Economic and social life A. Participation of women in the labour force and economic leadership among women 19. Greece has historically had low labour force participation among women and one of the lowest rates of employment among women in the European Union. One serious impact of the financial crisis and austerity measures is the high level of unemployment and underemployment among women. In 2018, 23.7 per cent of women in the active population were unemployed, compared with 14.7 per cent of men. The data available shows that the gender gap in unemployment has been prevalent for many years, and, in the period 2013– 2018, the largest gap was in December 2017, with 26 per cent of women unemployed, compared with 16.7 per cent of men.16 That is a significantly large gap, given the European Union average of 0.5 per cent unemployment among women. 17 20. Despite the adoption of Law No. 3896/201018 concerning equality of opportunity and treatment, the deregulation of the labour market due to the financial crisis and the consecutive austerity measures continues to affect women negatively, rendering them more vulnerable to poverty. That has been recognized by several international and regional monitoring bodies.19 21. In recognition of the adverse impact of the austerity measures on levels of employment among women, the national action plan for gender equality, 2016–2020,20 sets out a number of targeted initiatives to strengthen efforts to enhance access for woman to economic opportunities and to reduce unemployment and underemployment among women. They include a project on positive actions for women to promote their participation in economic decision-making centres, funded jointly by the European Commission.21 22. Increasing the participation of women in the workforce will require economic and social policies to build equal access for women into the labour market and deliver improved pay and conditions of work. 23. There are limited data on the size of the informal labour market. It is estimated that the magnitude of undeclared work is equivalent to 24 per cent of the gross domestic product, which puts Greece among the countries with one of the largest undeclared economies in Europe. Informal forms of work include domestic work, cleaning, care for older persons and children, tutoring services for students and employment in the hospitality sector – all 16 17 18 19 20 21 Ministry of the Interior, General Secretariat for Gender Equality “E-bulletin No. 19 on women’s unemployment”, table 3. Available at www.isotita.gr/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Observatory-19the-bulletin-Womens-Unemployment.pdf. European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Statistics Database, Employment rates by sex, age and degree of urbanization. Available at https://eige.europa.eu/genderstatistics/dgs/indicator/ta_wrklab_lab_emplrate_gen__lfst_r_ergau. Under Law No. 3896/2010, amending Law No. 3488/2006, discrimination on the basis of gender in employment is prohibited; it covers issues such as equal pay, equal treatment with regard to social security and equal access to employment and opportunities for professional development among men and women. See European Parliament, Directorate General for Internal Policies, “Note on the policy on gender equality in Greece”. Available at www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2013/493028/IPOLFEMM_NT%282013%29493028_EN.pdf. Council of Europe, Commissioner for Human Rights, “Greece: progress in combating racism”. Ministry of the Interior, General Secretariat for Gender Equality, national action plan for gender equality. Ibid., p. 55. 7