Why Investing in Gender Equality is More Important Than Ever

It has been recently stated by the United Nations Women's committee that gender

equality may take up to 300 years to achieve if we do not increase the current rate of change. In fact, COVID-19 and the setback with women’s sexual and reproductive rights, such as the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the United States, have contracted progress regarding equality. The reality is, gender equality is ultimately the foundation for achieving all seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and thus a lack of advancement in that department affects all of the United Nation’s objectives they are trying to achieve before 2030.

Fortunately, there is still plenty of opportunities to positively contribute to women’s rights to help achieve these seventeen goals; nonetheless, we need all hands in, as “the longer we take to reverse this trend, the more it will cost us all.” (UN Women). The Gender Snapshot 2022 report displays how collaboration and investments are crucial to put our world back to the pre-Covid progression rate. Furthermore, to completely put an end to child marriage by the set date of 2030, improvement needs to be seventeen times faster than in the past decade, as girls from the poorest households are expected to bear the biggest weight from this issue. Additionally, it is estimated that by the end year, 383 million women will live in extreme poverty, which is quite a difference from the 368 million men that are found to be in that condition. The Russian attack on Ukraine in February also increased food insecurity and hunger, particularly among women and children. Due to the pandemic, women lost a total of $800 billion in income, and the women’s participation rate in the workforce is expected to decline by 1% this year, from 51.8 to 50.8.

As time is running out, contribution to women’s rights and gender equality is now more crucial than it has ever been. Having an impact on this prevalent issue can come in many forms, whether it be monetary or advocacy, for instance. However, I have linked below the Fund for Gender Equality (FGE), which is a “community of like-minded actors who value the contributions that women-led organizations make to sustainable development” (UN Women), for those who might be interested. This fund drives alterations in policies and social norms that yield sustainable advances in gender equality and will play a considerable role in attaining the SDGs.

Link: https://www.unwomen.org/en/trust-funds/fund-for-gender-equality/join-us

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Contributors: Charolette Swane