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According to Status of Women Canada, gender equality means that women and men have the same status and have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights and potential to contribute to a national, political, economic, social and cultural development, and to benefit from results. It is an underlying factor in all development. Empowerment of women is necessary to achieving equality and to ensuring sustainable development.
Connecting gender and development
What are some of the issues?
What is the world doing?
What can I do?
Gender equality is necessary to sustainable development
If development is to be successful and sustainable, gender equality needs to achieved. You cannot make decisions that affect entire populations, without including all people in those decisions. In addition, to break the cycle of poverty, women and female children need to have equal opportunities to be successful, productive contributors for their family and their community.
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Understanding the issues
According to UNICEF,
discrimination robs girls and women of the the power to make decisions, to earn a living and to be free from violence, abuse and exploitation. Here are some of the issues where gender discrimination occurs:
Check out the United Nations Populations Fund's online exhibit on ending violence against women to learn more about specific situations.
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A global response
The United Nations Development Fund for Women or UNIFEM exists to promote women's rights. Unlike UNICEF – the agency that exists to protect the rights of children – UNIFEM does not stand alone, but rather, is a division of the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP).
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. To date, 185 member states have ratified the convention. Containing 30 articles, the convention is intended to eliminate discrimination against women and enforce rights.
Two of the Millennium Development Goals focus on gender issues. The third goal addresses gender equality and the empowerment of women and the fifth goal aims to reduce maternal mortality.
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Make your voice heard
By volunteering or fundraising for an organization that incorporates an emphasis on gender into its programming, you'll be helping to improve the quality of life for females around the world. Consider planning an awareness or fundraising event at your school.
For a list of organizations that accept volunteers, click here.
For fundraising ideas and contacts, click here.
Visit the links section to continue your research.
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