The UN issued a report examining how far the world has really come in terms of gender equality and women empowerment, since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 25 years ago. The report finds faltering progress and highlights a lack of effective action to boost women’s representation in key decision-making.
The review of women’s rights shows that despite some progress, no country has achieved gender equality,
…said UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The report, entitled ‘Women’s Rights in Review, 25 years after Beijing’, informs that men hold 75% of all parliamentary seats, 73% of managerial positions, are make up 70% of climate negotiators, as well as most peacemaking roles.
Key findings
- Over the past 20 years, progress on women’s access to paid work has ground to a halt as they continue to shoulder the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work – less than two thirds between the ages of 25-54 are in the labour force.
- Nearly one-in-five women have faced violence from an intimate partner in the past year, fueled by new technology, such as through cyber-harassment, for which policy solutions are largely absent.
- Some 32 million girls are still not in school.
- Men still control three-quarters of parliamentary seats.
- Women are largely excluded from peace processes.
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Women’s economic independence
Regarding women’s participation at work, the report finds that many women are stuck in low-paid work, equal pay remains elusive and men occupy most senior positions. Specifically:
- Women spend 3x as many hours as men in unpaid care and domestic work, limiting their access to decent work.
- More men (93%) between the ages of 25 to 54 are in the labour force than women (62%).
- The global gender pay gap remains at 16% with women paid up to 35% less than men in some countries.
- 740 million women globally work in the informal economy.
- Globally, 65% of women had an account at a financial institution in 2017, compared to 72% of men.
2020 presents an unprecedented opportunity to turn things around for current and future generations of women and girls,
…said Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka.
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