In a groundbreaking revelation from a joint report by UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), it has been disclosed that not a single one of the 114 countries examined has attained complete gender parity.
Adding to this stark reality is the disheartening fact that less than one percent of women and girls across the globe live in countries where they experience both significant empowerment and minimal gender gaps in crucial areas like health and education.
On the flip side, a staggering 3.1 billion women and girls, accounting for over 90 percent of the world's female population, inhabit nations marked by a significant empowerment deficit and a substantial gender gap.
The report introduces two innovative indices, aiming to illuminate the intricate challenges faced by women worldwide while providing a roadmap for targeted interventions and policy reforms.
The Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) gauges the extent of women's power and freedom to make choices and embrace opportunities across five dimensions: health, education, inclusion, decision-making, and protection against violence.
Concurrently, the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) evaluates gender disparities in crucial aspects of human development, encompassing health, education, inclusion, and decision-making.
Startlingly, women globally achieve merely 60 percent of their full potential, as measured by the WEI, while falling 28 percent behind men in key human development areas, as quantified by the GGPI.
Beyond the individual toll it takes on women's well-being and progress, these empowerment deficits and disparities profoundly impede overall human advancement.
Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, recalled the world's robust commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the report's indices lay bare the harsh reality that women's full potential remains unrealized, and substantial gender gaps persist, hindering and delaying the achievement of these goals.
As such, resolute and sustained efforts are imperative to fulfill the promise of gender equality, safeguard the human rights of women and girls, and ensure the complete realization of their fundamental freedoms, Bahous asserted.
The indices call for comprehensive policy action across various domains, encompassing health, education, work-life balance, family support, and the fight against violence towards women. By addressing these critical areas, we can accelerate progress toward a more equitable and inclusive world.
Achim Steiner, the head of UNDP, stressed that too many women and girls are confined to countries that limit their potential. These new and groundbreaking insights are designed with the ultimate goal of bringing about tangible and transformative change for real people.
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