A recent report from the United Nations highlights that the rights of women and girls are increasingly under threat globally.
This includes rising discrimination, diminished legal protections, and reduced funding for programs and institutions dedicated to supporting and safeguarding women’s rights.
The report, titled “Women’s Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing,” was released in anticipation of the UN’s 50th International Women’s Day on March 8, revealing that by 2024, nearly 25% of governments worldwide are expected to report a regression in women’s rights.
During a press conference on March 6, Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women’s Policy, Program, and Intergovernmental Division, stated, “The positive aspect is that today, women and girls experience more equality than ever before, indicating that progress is achievable. However, the report also demonstrates that this progress has been too slow, fragile, and inconsistent, and it is not guaranteed.”
The report underscores the urgent need to address these disparities and the threats that persist.
Hendriks further noted the alarming trend of a growing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights, driven by well-funded and organized anti-rights groups.
These actors are actively working to undermine established agreements on women’s rights issues.
She illustrated the long wait for true equality, stating that a girl born today may not see equal representation in parliaments until she is nearly 40, and it could take until she is 137 for the issue of poverty, which disproportionately affects women, to be resolved.
Also speaking at the press conference, Papa Seck, Chief of UN Women’s Research and Data section, remarked, “Significant progress has been made over the past 30 years toward realizing the goals of the Beijing platform.”
He noted that the representation of women in Parliament has doubled, maternal mortality rates have decreased by one-third, and girls have achieved equal enrollment with boys in upper secondary education, which is essential for their empowerment.
Additionally, there have been over 1,500 legal reforms across 189 countries aimed at creating a more equitable environment for women and girls.
However, Seck emphasized that there is still a long way to go. While the number of women in Parliament has increased, men still make up three-quarters of parliamentarians, resulting in laws and policies that do not adequately reflect women’s experiences.
Furthermore, women who seek political office often encounter alarming levels of violence and harassment, exacerbated by the misuse of digital technology.
He pointed out that although maternal mortality has decreased, millions of women continue to die unnecessarily during pregnancy and childbirth, with progress on this issue stagnating since 2015.
Despite achieving overall educational parity, around 60 million girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are still unable to complete their education. Additionally, one in five girls globally are still married as children.
Seck concluded by stating that while legal reforms have been vital for advancing gender equality, effective implementation remains a challenge, and the gender gap in labor force participation has seen little improvement over the past two decades, worsened by the impacts of COVID-19.
He also noted a troubling 50 percent increase in conflict-related sexual violence cases in 2022, with the majority of victims being women and girls.
