Gender gap is still very very critical

Monday 16th September 2024 at 9:14 AM

A recent UN report is sounding the alarm for global action

New York: 16th September 2024: (Media Link//The Women Screen Desk)::

A recent UN report is sounding the alarm for immediate global action to address critical gender gaps. Despite progress in gender equality and women's empowerment, with women now holding one in four parliamentary seats and fewer women living in extreme poverty, the report reveals that none of the indicators for Sustainable Development Goal 5 - achieving gender equality-are being met.

At the current pace, achieving gender parity in parliaments won't happen until 2063, and it will take an astonishing 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty. One in four girls are still married as children, highlighting the immense work that remains to be done.

The report emphasizes the staggering cost of gender inequality, with countries losing over $10 trillion annually due to inadequate education and an additional $500 billion in the next five years if the digital gender gap persists. 

Key Recommendations:

- Increase Investments: Boost funding to support women's empowerment and education

- End Discrimination: Enact and enforce laws to protect women's rights and prevent violence

- Legal Reforms: Implement domestic violence legislation to reduce intimate partner violence

World leaders are urged to take decisive action at the upcoming Summit of the Future on September 22-23 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025 to address these critical issues.

As Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, emphasized, "Progress is achievable, but it's not fast enough. We need to keep pushing forward for gender equality"