This year, International Women’s Day, on 8 March, marks 20 years since the historic World Conference on Women in Beijing underlined gender equality as a global priority. Solid evidence links the advancement of women’s and girls’ empowerment to the health, education, productivity and welfare of future generations. Yet, around the world, gender equality remains elusive.
This year, International Women’s Day, on 8 March, marks 20 years since the historic World Conference on Women in Beijing underlined gender equality as a global priority. Solid evidence links the advancement of women’s and girls’ empowerment to the health, education, productivity and welfare of future generations. Yet, around the world, gender equality remains elusive.
This year, International Women’s Day, on 8 March, marks 20 years since the historic World Conference on Women in Beijing underlined gender equality as a global priority. Solid evidence links the advancement of women’s and girls’ empowerment to the health, education, productivity and welfare of future generations. Yet, around the world, gender equality remains elusive.
“No country in the world has achieved gender equality, and discrimination in the law persists in many countries,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, in his statement marking International Women’s Day. “Women’s rising education attainment and workforce participation have not been matched with equal prospects for advancement and equal pay,” he said.
Although women comprise roughly half the population, they own only one per cent of the world’s wealth, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Poverty exacerbates the suffering of women and girls. One in three girls in developing countries are married before reaching age 18, and one in nine are married before age 15.
“And everywhere, violence against women and girls continues to take a devastating toll,” said Dr. Osotimehin.
An estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. An estimated 100-140 million women and girls alive have undergone some form of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Discrimination against women also limits their access to life-saving health information and services. Globally, 800 women die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth; most of these deaths are preventable. About 225 million women who want to use safe and modern contraceptives are not able to; most of them live in 69 of the poorest countries on earth.
In 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action offered a global blueprint for advancing women’s rights. Since then, governments and activists have made enormous strides. “Today, more girls are going to school, more women have joined the labour force, and more women have access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning,” said Dr. Osotimehin.
Maternal mortality has dropped by nearly half in the last 20 years, one of the many signs of progress in women's rights and equality. These successes often have a cascade effect: When a woman or girl is empowered, she sets an example for the whole community, helping to promote the rights and opportunities of those around her.
