The U.N.’s Sustainable Development Agenda, which all member states adopted in 2015, set the goal of achieving gender equality by 2030. But the world is not on track to hit this target, with a $360 billion annual spending deficit on measures that promote equality for women and girls.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonino Guterres on Friday warned that widespread threats to women's rights is threatening progress. Guterres pointed to Afghanistan where the Taliban has halted many girls' education, as well as sexual violence against women in Sudan, Israel and among Palestinian detainees.
"A global backlash against women’s rights is threatening, and in some cases reversing, progress in developing and developed countries alike," he said.
People march during an International Women's Day demonstration in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 8, 2024.
Thousands of women in several countries — from Kenya to France and Afghanistan to Brazil — held marches and celebrations on Friday to mark the day, making calls for better protections and equal opportunities.
Earlier this week, Guterres said the future could be grim if urgent action is not taken to invest in women and girls.
"Women and girls have made great gains – demolishing barriers, dismantling stereotypes and driving progress towards a more just and equal world. Yet they face immense obstacles. Billions of women and girls face marginalization, injustice and discrimination, while the persistent epidemic of violence against women disgraces humanity," Guterres said.
"Our world still reflects millennia of male-dominated power relations. And progress is under attack, with a fierce backlash against women’s rights. At our current rate, legal equality is some 300 years away. We must move much faster."
Guterres urged financial support for women’s organizations, as well as programs that promote inclusion and address gender-based violence. He also stressed the importance of increasing the number of women leaders in business and finance, where they can drive policy and make significant impacts.
The U.N. says more than 342 million women and girls — most in sub-Saharan Africa — could live below the poverty line by 2030. Exacerbating factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change and economic decline.
In the face of ongoing global crises, investing in women could reverse or ease some negative trends.
While an additional $360 billion a year is needed to achieve gender equality, according to the U.N, closing the gender gap could provide a 20% boost to GDP per capita and create almost 300 million jobs by 2035.
Some information in this report came from AFP.