Women's Empowerment Critical to Helping Children

Submitted by Crystal Davis on Fri, 2006-12-15 17:08.

UNICEF report coverOver one billion children suffer from a lack of proper nutrition, safe drinking water, decent sanitation, basic health-care services, and adequate education. A new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) finds that eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women is essential to improving children's welfare worldwide. Despite a general increase in women's status in recent decades, significant gender gaps remain. Women account for 70 percent of those living in poverty, two-thirds of the illiterate, and two-thirds of those denied primary education. They are also disproportionately vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence.



Linking Women's Empowerment with Children’s Welfare


UNICEF's The State of the World's Children 2007 report provides clear links between the empowerment of women and improved children's welfare.

Women are often excluded from important household decisions, including those concerning household spending and health care. A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute found that if women were allowed equal decision-making power, an additional 13.4 million children in South Asia and 1.7 million in sub-Saharan Africa would receive adequate nourishment.

UNICEF also noted a significant gender gap in earnings, with women making between 30 and 50 percent less than their male counterparts in most countries. This disparity is consequential considering that women typically spend 74 percent of earned income on food for their families compared to 22 percent for men.

Finally, women account for less than 17 percent of parliamentarians worldwide, indicating less involvement in political systems. Yet there is growing evidence that female legislators are the most effective advocates of children's welfare.


gender equality map http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/gender_equality_and_empowerment_of
_women_education_status


Map Designer: Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal



Key Interventions to Enhance Gender Equality


The State of the World's Children 2007 recommends seven strategies for empowering women and promoting gender equality:

  • Eductation: Ensure equal educational opportunities for boys and girls by abolishing school fees, encouraging family and community investments in girls' education, and combating male bias in the classroom.
  • Financing: Increase financial resources dedicated to promoting gender equality and integrate these resources into existing government budgets and plans.
  • Legislation: Reform legislation relating to property law, inheritance rights and domestic violence to create a level playing field for women. Increase enforcement of existing legislation.
  • Legislative quotas: 17 of the 20 countries with the most women in parliament use a quota system. Quotas must be supported by political parties and electoral systems that encourage women's participation.
  • Women empowering women: Ensure that programs consider the needs of women and children by involve grassroots women's movements in the early stages of policy formation.
  • Engaging men and boys: Encourage increased communication between the sexes and joint-decision making by educating men and boys on the benefits of gender equality.
  • Improved research and data: Enhance understanding of the issues affecting women by initiating data and analysis relating to maternal mortality, violence against women, education, employment, unpaid work, and political participation.



    • RELATED LINKS:

    Full Press Release

    Millennium Development Goal on Gender Equality

    UNICEF Voices of Youth


    EarthTrends

    Health and Education Variables

    Gender Variables

    Data Table: Gender and Development