“Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Status Report on Gender Equality 2023” shows that urgent and decisive action to achieve gender equality is inevitable. The report, released on September 7 by Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), predicts that at the current rate, more than 340 million women and girls – 8 percent of the world’s population – will be living in extreme poverty in 2030. The proportion of women in leadership positions has not increased significantly, with 26.7 percent of women in parliaments, 35.5 percent in local governments, and 28.2 percent in senior positions in the business world. The report addresses the impacts of climate change on women and girls for the first time. It is estimated that the climate crisis could push 158 million women and girls into poverty. The report also addresses old age and states that older women are exposed to poverty and violence at higher rates than older men. By 2030, the report emphasizes that urgent concrete steps must be taken to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment, and states that an additional 360 billion dollars is needed annually to achieve this.
Sarah Hendriks, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, said: “This year’s report is a call to action for the Sustainable Development Goals. We must act collectively and consciously now for a world where every woman and girl has equal rights, opportunities, and representation.” Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, UN DESA Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, emphasizes the importance of gender equality: “Gender equality is not just a goal in the 2030 Agenda, it is a goal on which we must build all other goals.” Published by UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the “Progress on Sustainable Development Goals: Gender Equality 2023 Status Report” stands out as an indicator of efforts to achieve gender equality around the world. An in-depth analysis of the report reveals several striking headlines.
Climate Change and Food Insecurity
According to the report, climate change-induced food insecurity could affect 236 million women and girls, as well as 131 million more men and boys. This stands out as an important indicator of gender-based impacts.
Intimate Partner Violence and Country Situation
Another important point made in the report is that no country in the world has eliminated intimate partner violence. This shows that a major global social problem persists.
Number of Countries Investing in Gender Equality
The report reveals that only 27 countries have comprehensive systems in place to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment and allocate budgets for these areas. This highlights the need for more countries to make efforts in this regard.
Women and Girls Affected by Conflict
The report notes that the number of women and girls affected by conflict is on the rise. The fact that this number has risen to 614 million in 2022 shows the necessity for the international community to find more effective solutions in this regard.
Gender Discrimination in Education and the Threat to the Future
At the current rate, 110 million girls and young women will be deprived of education in 2030. This shows that gender discrimination in education is a major threat to the future.
Labor and Income Gap
The report reveals that the labor and income gap between men and women remains high. Globally, women earn only 51 cents for every dollar earned by men. This highlights the challenges of gender inequality in the world of work.
Housework and Care Responsibility
At the current rate of progress, women of the next generation will, on average, do 2.3 hours more unpaid care and housework per day than men. The report emphasizes that the goal of gender equality will be increasingly difficult to achieve and calls for further efforts.
The report also includes the following data:
- Food insecurity due to climate change could affect 236 million women and girls and 131 million more men and boys.
- No country in the world has eliminated intimate partner violence.
- Only 27 countries have comprehensive systems and budgets for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- The number of women and girls affected by conflict has increased significantly. In 2022, this figure has risen to 614 million. This is 50 percent more than in 2017. At the current rate, an estimated 110 million girls and young women will be deprived of education in 2030. The labor and income gaps between women and men remain high.
- Globally, women earn 51 cents for every dollar earned by men. While 90 percent of men in their most productive years participate in the labor force, the corresponding figure for women is 61.4 percent.
- At the current rate of progress, women of the next generation will, on average, do 2.3 hours more unpaid care and housework per day than men.
