In a stark warning about the state of gender equality worldwide, a recent UN Women report has shed light on the critical investment needed to bridge the gender gap. The report, a comprehensive analysis of global gender disparities, reveals that a staggering $360 billion per year is required to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment across key international goals.
This investment is deemed essential to counteract the growing risks of poverty, education deficits, and the disproportionate impact of global crises on women and girls.
According to the report, more than 340 million women and girls, or approximately 8 percent of the female population globally, are at risk of falling into extreme poverty by the year 2030 if current trends persist. This alarming projection underscores the urgency of addressing gender inequalities as part of broader sustainable development efforts. The report also highlights that the number of women and girls living in conflict-affected areas has surged by 50 percent since 2017, reaching 614 million in 2022, further exacerbating their vulnerability.
The persistence of gender biases in various domains, including education, employment, and social protection, poses a significant barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The report estimates that, at the current rate of progress, 110 million girls and young women will be out of school by 2030. Moreover, women continue to bear the brunt of unpaid care work, which, if monetarily valued, would account for more than 40 percent of the world's GDP.
UN Women's findings are based on an analysis of data from over 90 countries and call for transformative policy measures in five key areas: care, macroeconomics, labor, social protection, and migration. The organization emphasizes that empowering women is not only a matter of justice but also a prerequisite for addressing global challenges such as geopolitical conflicts, poverty, and climate change.
The gender wage gap remains a stark reality, with women earning 51 cents for every dollar earned by men in equivalent labor positions. This disparity is even more pronounced for mothers, who face lower quality labor market participation compared to childless women and men. Furthermore, the next generation of women is projected to spend an average of 2.3 more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work compared to their male counterparts.
The report also underscores the gendered impacts of climate change, predicting that an additional 158.3 million women and girls will be pushed into poverty due to environmental shifts, a figure that surpasses the number of affected men and boys. Food insecurity, exacerbated by climate change, is expected to impact 236 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys.
In light of these findings, UN Women urges world leaders and policymakers to prioritize gender equality in their agendas, recognizing and valuing the indispensable contributions of women to the global economy. The call to action is clear: substantial investment and policy reform are necessary to create a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world for all genders.
