Despite global efforts, the world is “failing women and girls,” warned the United Nations in a report on gender equality released on September 7, 2023. In the latest edition of the UN Women and UN DESA report, titled “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023,” alarming trends are unveiled, highlighting the world’s struggles to achieve gender equality as it reaches the halfway mark of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
EXTREME POVERTY
The report’s findings are grim. If the current trajectory persists, over 340 million women and girls, approximately 8% of the world’s female population, will endure extreme poverty by 2030. Additionally, nearly one in four will face moderate to severe food insecurity. The gender gap in leadership and power positions remains deeply entrenched, with the next generation of women predicted to spend an average of 2.3 more hours daily on unpaid care and domestic work compared to men.
CLIMATE CHANGE
This year’s report breaks new ground by presenting sex-disaggregated data on the intersection of gender and climate change for the first time. It projects that under a worst-case climate scenario, climate change could plunge up to 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty by mid-century, surpassing the total number of affected men and boys by 16 million.
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Sarah Hendriks emphasized the urgency of the situation: “In this critical midpoint moment for the SDGs, this year’s report is a resounding call to action. We must collectively and intentionally act now to course-correct towards a world where every woman and girl enjoys equal rights, opportunities, and representation. Achieving this requires unwavering commitment, innovative solutions, and collaboration across all sectors and stakeholders.”
OLDER WOMEN
The report also spotlights older women, revealing higher rates of poverty and violence compared to older men. Shockingly, in 28 out of 116 countries with data, fewer than half of older women have access to a pension, and in 12 countries, less than 10% enjoy such benefits. Progress on SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality, lags significantly halfway to 2030. The report emphasizes that we are failing women and girls, with only two Goal 5 indicators “close to target,” and none at the “target met or almost met” level.
“The gender snapshot 2023” underscores the pressing need for concrete actions to accelerate progress toward gender equality by 2030. The report estimates that an additional USD 360 billion per year is required to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls across key global goals. It calls for an integrated and holistic approach, enhanced collaboration among stakeholders, consistent funding, and policy measures to address gender disparities and empower women and girls globally. Failing to prioritize gender equality now could jeopardize the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of UN DESA, emphasizes, “Gender equality is not merely a goal within the 2030 Agenda; it is the foundation of a just society, upon which all other goals must stand. By dismantling barriers hindering the full participation of women and girls in all aspects of society, we unlock untapped potential that can drive progress and prosperity for all.”
FACTS AND FIGURES
- Under a worst-case climate scenario, food insecurity is projected to affect as many as 236 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys, due to climate change.
- No country is within reach of eradicating intimate partner violence, and only 27 countries have comprehensive systems to track and make budgetary allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- The number of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts has risen significantly, with catastrophic consequences. In 2022, the number of women and girls living in such contexts reached 614 million, 50 per cent higher than the number in 2017.
- Globally, at current rates of progress, an estimated 110 million girls and young women will be out of school in 2030.
- The labour and earnings gap remains persistently high. For each dollar men earn in labour income globally, women earn only 51 cents. Only 61.4 per cent of prime working age women are in the labour force, compared to 90 per cent of prime working age men