Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day (IWD). It is an annual event that celebrates the incredible achievements of women and girls around the world, while recognizing that progress still needs to be made to make the important human rights issue of gender equality a reality.
This year's UN Women theme for the day is Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress. And the United Nations estimates that 48 low- and middle-income countries will spend $6.4 trillion annually to achieve gender equality in areas such as health, economic security, education, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and conflict/humanitarian environments. In need of. However, the United Nations predicts that at the current rate of progress it will take another 286 years to achieve gender equality. There is a $360 billion annual gap to fully achieve gender equality and women's empowerment.
Closing this gap and achieving progress for women and girls around the world requires targeted action and investment across five key areas. These are investing in women as a human rights imperative, eradicating poverty, implementing gender-responsive financing, and establishing a green economy and care society. , and supporting feminist changemakers.
Investments in other areas (such as sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health) will not only improve the overall health of women and adolescents, but also increase their participation in education, the paid workforce, and policy and decision-making. It will be. These are all essential elements of gender equality.
Aid and access can solve challenges
Women's poverty stems from an economic system that is inherently unequal to women. Discrimination in the workplace, limited access to financial assets, unequal burdens of care, and social norms prevent women from participating equally in the workforce and limit their ability to make decisions in the home and community. .
Currently, more than 10% of women are trapped in a cycle of poverty, earning less than US$2.15 per day. Without intervention, by 2030 she could see as many as 342 million women living in extreme poverty. Therefore, by investing in business opportunities, promoting quality jobs, and creating social and workplace protections for women, we can increase the economic security of women and girls around the world.
Gender-sensitive financing in public sectors such as health and education ensures access to essential public services and protection. Current health financing models are undermined by persistent gender biases, resulting in a lack of access to quality health care. Girls' education is one of the most powerful tools for ensuring the economic security, equality and empowerment of girls and young women, but global estimates suggest that approximately 129 million girls are currently not enrolled in school. I don't go there. Gender transformation financing in early childhood and secondary education improves girls' health and well-being, reduces child marriage rates, delays the age of first birth, increases future earning potential, and empowers girls to make decisions about their own futures. can be improved.
The increasing impacts of climate change are having a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of women and girls around the world. Heat waves, weather events, and climate-related migration and displacement have significant impacts on maternal, reproductive, and newborn health.
But beyond its direct health impacts, climate change is also increasing the burden of unpaid work on women and girls. This new crisis is amplifying existing gender and social norms, often placing the onus on women and girls to manage household energy use, water scarcity, food and nutrition, and care needs. Become. Investing in strategies that improve adaptation to climate change, promote clean energy, and create social protections to build equitable care societies will help women and girls recover from emerging and future threats. Helps build strength.
Feminist organizations and women leaders, especially in low- and middle-income countries, can pave the way for greater inclusivity, especially at the outset of humanitarian crises. When women are in leadership positions, they can bring unique perspectives to peace negotiations and conflict resolution, leading to more inclusive, comprehensive and durable post-conflict peace agreements.
Adopting a feminist diplomacy strategy that provides equal rights for women, equal representation in government, and equal allocation of resources to their needs will help close the gender funding gap and improve equality for women and girls around the world. This is an important first step to achieving this goal. .
On this International Women's Day, we must ensure that women and girls are not left behind in global health and development efforts. Only through focused investment and attention can we advance equality and empowerment for all.
source: Population Research Institute, UNICEF, UN Women.
Photo credit: Profile portraits of various women. Furikota/Shutterstock.com
