1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty!
UN Women

New York — On International Women’s Day, UN Women calls for the world to “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress” as the best way to accelerate economic growth and build more prosperous, equitable societies.
This is particularly urgent when war and crisis are eroding the achievements of decades of investments in gender equality.

From the Middle East to Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, women pay the biggest price for conflicts that are not of their making. The need for peace has never been more urgent.
Climate change is accelerating persistent poverty gaps. As competition for scarce resources intensifies, livelihoods are threatened, societies become more polarized, and women bear an increasingly heavy burden:
• 1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty.
• The number of women and girls living in conflict-affected areas doubled since 2017, now, more than 614 million women and girls live in conflict-affected areas. In conflict areas, women are 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty.
• Climate change is set to leave 236 million more women and girls hungry by 2030, twice as many as men (131 million).
• At prime working age, only 61 per cent of women are in the labour force versus 90 per cent of men.
We cannot continue to miss out on the gender-equality dividend. More than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments prioritized education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and expanded social benefits.
The concept of a “gender-equality dividend” refers to the broad social, economic, and cultural benefits that societies could reap by ensuring equal opportunities and rights for individuals of all genders. The current status quo, in which pervasive gender disparities exist in various spheres of life, results in missed opportunities not only for women and girls but for entire communities and economies.
If we continue to overlook the importance of gender equality, we will forgo the significant advantages that could come from fully integrating women and girls into all aspects of society. Studies have shown that when gender gaps are closed in key areas such as education and employment, the positive impacts are manifold.
For instance, if governments around the world were to prioritize education, it would lead to more women and girls acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively in the workforce. Education is a fundamental tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, as it enhances an individual’s ability to secure better-paying jobs and contributes to overall economic growth.
Additionally, prioritizing family planning is crucial for gender equality. Access to family planning services allows women to have control over their reproductive lives, which can lead to improved health outcomes for mothers and children, reduced maternal mortality, and the empowerment of women to pursue educational and employment opportunities.
Fair and equal wages are also an essential component of the gender-equality dividend. The gender pay gap, where women are paid less than men for equivalent work, is a persistent issue that undermines the economic security of women and perpetuates income inequality. By ensuring that women are paid fairly, societies can benefit from the increased purchasing power of women and a reduction in poverty levels.
Expanding social benefits is another key area where governments can make a difference. Social benefits such as parental leave, childcare support, and healthcare can help to alleviate the disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work that often falls on women. By providing these supports, governments can enable more women to enter and remain in the workforce, thereby boosting the economy and promoting a more equitable distribution of labor at home and in the workplace.
Ultimately, the failure to capitalize on the gender-equality dividend means missing out on a more prosperous and just world. By harnessing the full potential of over half the population, more than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty, leading to a more robust and inclusive global economy. It’s a call to action for governments and policymakers to make gender equality a top priority, recognizing that the benefits will be widespread and transformative.
Almost 300 million jobs could be created by 2035 through investments in care services, such as provision of daycare and elderly care. And closing gender employment gaps could boost gross domestic product per capita by 20 per cent across all regions.

The current reality is far from this. Programmes dedicated to gender equality represent only 4 per cent of official development assistance.
An additional USD 360 billion in developing countries is needed per year to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. This is less than one fifth of the USD 2.2 trillion spent globally on military expenditure in 2022, for example.
The areas needing investment are clear and understood. First and foremost there must be an investment in peace.
Beyond this, the investments needed include: laws and policies that advance the rights of women and girls; transformation of social norms that pose barriers to gender equality; guaranteeing women’s access to land, property, health care, education, and decent work; and financing women’s groups networks at all levels.

UN Women is also calling on Member States at the Commission on the Status of Women, starting in New York on 11 March 2024, to back up their commitments on gender equality with resources.
The world’s leaders have this opportunity to develop concrete and progressive agreed conclusions that reflect the crucial need for financing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and women´s organizations. They must seize it for the sake of equality, our planet, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

08-03-2024
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