Gender Equality

Gender Equality

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also a foundation for a peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous world. Because of the encouragement and of various schemes there has been tremendous progress over the last decades, more girls are going to school, early marriage drop down, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality. However, despite all the efforts taken still, there are many hurdles and challenges to be faced. Discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be under-represented at all levels.

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• Globally, 750 million women and girls were married before the age of 18 and at least 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone FGM.

• In 30 countries girls between 15-16 who are subjected to FGM (female genital mutilation) have dropped from 1 in 2 girls in 2000 to 1 in 3 girls by 2017.

• In 18 countries, husbands can legally prevent their wives from working; in 39 countries, daughters and sons do not have equal inheritance rights; and 49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence.

• Globally, one in five women and girls including 19% of women and girls aged 15 to 49, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner within the last 12 months. Yet, 49 countries have no laws that specifically protect women from such violence.

• Globally, even though women have made important inroads into political office across the world, their representation in national parliaments at 23.7% is still far from parity.

• In approximately 46 countries, women now hold more than 30% of seats in the national parliament in at least one chamber.

• Globally, only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use, and health care.

• Globally women are just 13% of agricultural landholders.

• Women in North Africa hold less than one in five paid jobs in the non-agricultural sector. However, the proportion of women in paid employment outside the agriculture sector has increased from 35% in 1990 to 41% in 2015.

• More than 100 countries have allocated budgets for gender equality.

• In South Asia, child marriage has dropped by over 40% since 2000.