TIRANA- “2020 is a massive year for gender equality. And the benefits of gender equality are not just for women and girls, but for everyone whose lives will be changed by a fairer world that leaves no one behind. It’s the year for what we call “Generation Equality”. With the leadership of civil society, we’re mobilizing to realize women’s rights, and to mark 25 years of implementing the Beijing Platform for Action,” said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in a statement released on the occasion of International’s Women Day.
The Director noted that the body she heads is enabling women to influence the decisions about their future. “We do have some positive changes to celebrate. For example, there has been a 38 per cent drop in the ratio of maternal deaths since 2000. 131 countries have made legal reforms to support gender equality and address discrimination. Twenty-five years ago, discrimination of women was legislated in many countries. Today, more than three-quarters of countries have laws against domestic violence in place. And more girls are in school than ever before, with more women in tertiary education than men globally.”
But, according to her, even though there has been progress, no country has achieved gender equality, and challenges remain for all countries, although many of them are not insurmountable.
“Meantime, girls are making no secret of their disappointment with the stewardship of our planet, the unabated violence directed against them and the slow pace of change in fulcrum issues like education. For example, despite improved school enrolment, 1 in 10 young women today are still unable to read and write. This has to change in order for girls to fully own their power, take their place in the world, and play their vital role in technology and innovation,” the statement said.
According to the number one of UN Women body, another priority target for the impatience is the lack of women at the tables of power as three-quarters of all parliamentarians in the world are men.
But her greatest impatience is with unmoving economic inequality. “Women and girls use triple the time and energy of boys and men to look after the household. That costs them equal opportunities in education, in the job market and in earning power. It’s a driver of repeating poverty. Young women raising families are 25 per cent more likely than men to live in extreme poverty, affecting millions of young children, with impacts that last into later life for both mother and child. The solution includes good policies that promote more equality in childcare responsibilities and that provide state support to families, and those who work in the informal economy.”
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka concluded her statement by pledging: “So, though we are radically impatient, we are not giving up and we are hopeful. We have growing support from allies and partners who are ready to tackle barriers against gender equality. We see the driving will for change across generations and countries. We are locating issues that unite us and that offer opportunities to disrupt the status quo. Lessons learnt in the last 25 years have shown us what is needed to accelerate action for equality. Generation Equality is one of our answers and together, we are that generation.”/argumentum.al
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