In Occasion of 16 Days of Activism

Saturday, Nov 25, 2023

As the world observes the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, it is imperative to cast a discerning gaze on the current state of women globally. This essay serves as a reflection on the myriad challenges faced by women and girls, underscoring the pressing need for intensified efforts and genuine commitment in the pursuit of gender equality.

Despite commendable endeavors and steadfast commitments, WOMEN continue to grapple with multifaceted forms of violence, spanning political, economic, social, and familial spheres. Formed through the lens of human rights, this essay unveils a start reality as women and girls remain among the most vulnerable groups in societies worldwide. The following exploration provides a succinct yet comprehensive overview of the status of women, examining key facets such as political participation, economic empowerment, access to justice, health, education, and the progress toward Sustainable Development Goals. Through a critical examination, this essay illuminates the persistent inequalities and injustice that necessitate urgent, concerted action from governments, organizations, international communities, social groups, and individuals.

Below is a brief overview on women's situation from different aspects of life compiled by the UN and other agencies:

• Women's political participation:
  
  • The UN Women Notes:
    As of 1 January 2023, 11.3 percent of countries have women Heads of State (17 out of 151 countries, monarchy-based systems excluded), and 9.8 percent have women Heads of Government (19 out of 193). This is an increase compared to a decade ago when figures stood at 5.3 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively. If all the regions, Europe continues to have the highest number of countries led by women. (Women in Power in 2023. New Data Shows Progress but Wide Regional Gaps. 2023)
    
    Women represent 22.8 percent of Cabinet Ministers as of 1 January, 2023. Europe and North America (31.6 percent), and Latin America and the Caribbean (33.1 percent) are the regions with the highest share of women in cabinets.
    
    However, in most other regions, women and severely under-represented dropping as low as 10.1 percent in Central and Southern Asia and 8.1 percent in the Pacific Islands (Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand).
    
    Only 13 countries, mostly in Europe, have gender-equal cabinets, with 50 percent or more of women cabinet members as heads of ministries. There are 17 additional countries with women's representation among Cabinet Ministers between 40 and 49.9 percent, nine of which are in Europe.
    
    Nine countries--most in Oceania and Western Asia--have no women cabinet members heading ministries. (Women in Power in 2023: New Data Shows Progress but Wide Regional Gaps, 2023)
    
    Only 26.5 percent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women, up from 11 percent in 1995.
    
    Only six countries have 50 percent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses. A further 23 countries have reached or surpassed 40 percent.
    
    Globally, there are 22 States in which women account for less than 10 percent of parliamentarians in a single or lower houses, including one lower chamber with no women at all. (Facts and Figures: Women's Leadership and Political Participation, 2023)
    
    Data from 141 countries show that women constitute more than 3 million (35.5 percent) of elected members in local deliberative bodies. Only three countries have reached 50 percent, and an additional 22 countries have more than 40 percent women in local government. (Facts and Figures: Women's Leadership and Political Participation, 2023)
    
    
• Women in economic
  • The following information, pertaining to the percentage representation of women's economic situation, is extracted from The World Bank's report, 'WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW' 2023.
    
    Governments cannot afford to sideline as much as half of their population. Denying equal rights to women across much of the world is not only unfair to women, but also is a barrier to countries' ability to promote green, resilient, and inclusive development. Women cannot afford to wait any longer to reach gender equality. Neither can the global economy. (WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, n.d.)
    
    Globally, on average, women enjoy only 77 percent of the legal rights that men do; and nearly 2.4 billion women of working age around the world live in economies that do not grant them the same rights as men. Although great achievements have been made in recent decades, much remains to be done. (WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, n.d. page 15, paragraph 3)
    
    Today, just 14 economies--all high income--have laws giving women the same rights as men, and progress has been uneven cross regions and over time. Worldwide, every economy has implemented at least one reform since 1970; however, 176 economies still have room to improve. (WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, n.d. page 17, paragraph 3)
    
    
• Women access to justice
  • We possess numerous evidence-based reports highlighting the historical lack of access to justice for women across different eras and regions of the world. These reports reveal that women have endured various forms of violations, exacerbated by inadequate legal support in some countries, systemic corruption in others, and pervasive societal norms that hinder women from fully accessing justice in most nations. Regrettably, women continue to experience injustice across the globe. The following notes provide a clear picture of the issue by TAVARES & WODON, March 2018:
    
    When considering specific specific types of domestic violence, the number of adult women not protected under the law increases. For sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member, more than one billion women lacked protection, with virtually no change over time. For economic violence, the tally reached almost 1.4 billion women (50.6 percent of adult women) lacking protection, again with little change over time. Finally, estimates for unmarries intimate partners reach two billion. All these statistics are based on the number of adult women in the 141 countries, whether they are engaged in such relationships or not.
    
    One in five countries do not have appropriate laws against sexual harassment in employment. The proportion is six in ten countries for sexual harassment in education and four in five for sexual harassment in public spaces. Criminal penalties are in place in only two thirds of countries and less than half for sexual harassment in employment. Estimates of the number of women lacking legal protection against sexual harassment in employment, education, and public places are at 259 million, 1.5 billion, and 2.2 billion, respectively.
    
    The vast majority of people affected by intimate partner violence are women. The law does not protect them. Leaving an abusive relationship produces legal needs that have to be met. More than a billion women do not have legal protection from intimate partner sexual violence.
    
    Labor legislation is often discriminatory and legal barriers to women's entrepreneurship are pervasive, especially for married women. Women working in the informal sector are unable to protect themselves from arbitrary warrants, evictions, and confiscation of goods. Over 2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men. (Source: World Bank)
    
    Women's access and control over land is restricted by discriminatory laws and practices, which worsens the risk of poverty. Women account for about one-eighth of total land ownership in developing countries, while representing about 43 percent of all those working in agriculture. (Source: FAO)
    
    Women need legal identity documents--relating to property, business, housing, marriage, employment, children or immigration status--to protect their rights and access services, including access to finance and even a mobile phone.
    
    Over one billion people in the world face challenges in proving who they are. Over 45 percent of women lack an ID, compared to 30 percent of men, in low-income countries. (Source: UNHCR-CEDAW)
    
    Women judges contribute to improved justice for women. Yet women continue to be excluded from public life and senior roles, including the legal system. In 2017, only 24 percent of the constitutional court justices globally were women (Source: UN Women)(Intimate Partner Violence, n.d.)
    
    
• Women and health
  
  More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced.
  
  FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15.
  
  FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
  
  Treatment of the health complications of FGM is estimated to cost health systems US$1.4 billion per year, a number expected to rise unless urgent action is taken towards its abandonment. (Female Genital Mutilation, n.d.)
  
  As of 2019, adolescents aged 15-19 years in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) had an estimated 21 million pregnancies each year, of which approximately 50% were unintended and which resulted in an estimated 12 million births.
  
  Based on 2019 data, 55% of unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls ages 15-19 years end in abortions, which are often unsafe in LMICs.
  
  Adolescent mothers (aged 10-19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women 20-24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.
  
  Data on childbirths among girls aged 10-14 are getting more widely available. Globally the adolescent birth rate for girls 10-14 in 2022 was estimated at 1.5 per 1000 women with higher rated in sub-Saharan Africa (4.6) and Latin America and the Caribbean (2.4). (Adolescent Pregnancy, n.d
  
  Every day in 2020, almost 800 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
  
  A maternal death occurred almost every two minutes in 2020. Between 2000 and 2023, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) dropped by about 34 percent worldwide.
  
  Almost 95 percent of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower middle-income countries in 2020 (Maternal Mortality, n.d.).
  
  
• Girl's Education
  Around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age. In countries affected by conflict, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than girls living in non-affected countries. Worldwide, 129 million girls are out of school. (Girls' Education | UNICEF, n.d.)
  
  Afghanistan is the only country since September 2021, the return to school for all Afghan girls over the age of 12 have been indefinitely postponed leaving 1.1 million girls and young women without access to formal education. Currently, 8 percent of school-aged Afghan girls and young women--2.5 million people--are out of school. Nearly 30 percent of girls in Afghanistan have never entered primary education.
  
  In December 2022, university education for women was suspended until further notice, affecting over 100,000 female students attending government and private higher education institutions. (UNESCO, 2023)
  
  The report also notes that long-held biased gender norms and stereotypes remain embedded in curricula, textbooks and teaching, derailing girls' choices of what to study and what careers to pursue. Globally, young women outnumber men in tertiary education, but in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), women make up only 35 percent of students, and in ICT, women make up just 3 percent. Across countries, girls are steered away from STEM. (Leaving No Girl Behind in Education, 2022)
  
  
• Gender Apartheid
  
  The ongoing gender disparities in Afghanistan and Iran pose significant challenges for the future of women and girls, as well as for society as a whole.
  
  • In Afghanistan, gender apartheid is seen in the Taliban banning women and girls from education and almost all employment, and from traveling long distances without a male guardian, all while having to abide by a severe dress code. Women in Afghanistan are banned from almost all public spaces including public parks, gyms, and most recently beauty salons.
    
    In Iran, gender apartheid is seen in the Islamic Republic not allowing a women the right to divorce her husband or gain custody of her children, and in banning women from obtaining a passport and traveling outside the country without the permission of a male guardian. Women in Iran are barred from many fields of study and are not permitted into sports stadiums. Their lives and their testimony are worth half a man's under the law, and they are forced to wear compulsory hijab.
    
    Gender apartheid in these countries is seen in a series of policies and daily abuses that bar women and girls from engaging in public life and having any hopes of any financial autonomy. It is in all these measures designed and enacted by the Taliban and the Islamic Republic as a system of governance that aims to compress and relegate Afghan and Iranian women and girls into narrow roles: as child-bearers, child-rearers, and sources of unremunerated domestic labor. (jcookson, 20223)
    
    
• Sustainable Development Goals
  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries--developed and developing--in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, educe inequality, and spur economic growth--all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. (THE 17 Goals | Sustainable Development, n.d.)
  
  
• PROGRESS ON THE SDGs THE GENDER SNAPSHOP 2022
  
  1. NO TO POVERTY
     Globally, over 280 million WOMEN AND GIRLS are in extreme poverty, living on less than $1.90 a day. If current trends continue, in sub-Saharan Africa, more women and girls will live in extreme poverty by 2030 than do today.
  2. ZERO HUNGER
     Globally, nearly 1 in 3 WOMEN experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021. Rising food prices are likely to exacerbate hunger around the world.
  3. GOOD HEALTH AND WELL BEING
     Unsafe abortion is a leading but preventable cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Today over 1.2 billion WOMEN AND GIRLS of reproductive age live in countries and areas with some restrictions on access to safe abortion. 102 million live in places where abortion is prohibited altogether.
  4. QUALITY EDUCATION
     Protracted conflicts, wars and renewed efforts to keep girls out of school perpetuate gender gaps in access to school and learning. 54 percent of GIRLS who are not in formal education worldwide live in crisis affected countries.
  5. GENDER EQUALITY
     At the current rate of progress, it may take another 286 years to remove discriminatory laws and close prevailing gaps in legal protections for women and girls.
     Globally more than 1 in every 10 WOMEN AND GIRLS ages 15-29 were subjected to sexual and/or physical violence by an intimate partner in the previous year.
     In 2021, 4,465 COMMUNITIES made public declarations committing to eliminate female genital mutilation.
     Women hold over one third of seats in local decision-making bodies.
     School and day-care closures in 2020 led to an estimated 512 billion additional hours of unpaid childcare globally for women.
     The glass ceiling remains intact. Close to 1 in 3 MANAGERS/SUPERVISORS is a woman.
     At the current pace of change, only 26 PERCENT OF COUNTRIES have a comprehensive system to track gender budget allocations.
  6. CLEAN WATER AND SANITIATION
     The lack of clean water claims the lives of more than 800,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS every year.
  7. AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
     Affordable and clean energy, key to lifesaving care and productivity, remains out of reach for millions OF WOMENS AND GIRLS in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Rising energy prices are making matters worse.
  8. DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
     Women's labor force participation in 2022 is projected to remain below pre-pandemic levels in 169 countries and areas.
  9. INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
     Women hold only 2 in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology jobs globally. They comprise only 16.5 percent of investors associated with a a patent.
  10. REDUCED INEQUALITIES
      By the end of 2021, some 44 million WOMEN AND GIRLS had been forced to flee their homes due to climate change, war, conflict and human rights violations.
  11. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
      The majority of the world's women live in cities. 49% OF WOMEN in urban areas report feeling less safe walking alone at night since COVID-19 began.
  12. RESPONCIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
  13. CLIMATE CHANGE
  14. LIFE BELOW WATER
  15. LIFE AND LAND
      On average, one disaster resulting in 115 DEATHS AND LOSSES OF $202 MILLION was recorded daily during 1970-2019. WOMEN, especially from poor and marginalized communities, are disproportionately affected.
  16. PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
      Strong institutions that support just and peaceful societies are not possible without women. But women globally hold just 42% of judicial positions and make up a tiny share of police forces--a mere 16 percent.
  17. PARTICIPATION FOR THE GOALS
      Funding for gender equality is not keeping pace with the increasing severity of global challenges and backlash against women's rights. Just 4.6 percent of bilateral allocable ODA goes to programs where gender equality is the main objective (PROGRESS on the SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS the GENDER SNAPSHOT 2022, n.d.)

In conclusion, the sluggish trajectory towards achieving gender equality across diverse Sustainable Development Goals signals a disheartening reality, with projections indicating the persistence of discriminatory laws and legal gaps for potentially hundreds of years. Delving into the complex web of issues surrounding violence against women, we uncover its roots in factors such as poverty, illiteracy, power dynamics, extremism, and social anomalies. The perpetuation of social inequalities is fueled by a lack of awareness, genuine commitment, and sway of political and economic interests.

While women play crucial and often overlooked roles across various societal domains, their contributions remain sidelined. It is incumbent upon us to reevaluate existing challenges and approach the struggle for gender equality with innovative perspectives, paving the way for a flourishing society and enduring peace.

Amidst the shadows of injustice and discrimination, envisioning a world where every individual can revel in life without fear is paramount. Let us collectively strive to paint the world orange, symbolizing a harmonious coexistence, free from prejudice. The responsibility to champion women's rights as human rights is not exclusive to governments; it extends from individuals to communities, resonating locally, regionally, and internationally. Only though concerted efforts can we foster a world where every inhabitant can thrive in peace and equality.

Recommendations:

• Speak out and don't stay silent--start a conversation
• Listen and believe survivors, women and girls
• Empower women and girls
• Make access to education paramount for women and girls
• Provide economic opportunities for women and girls
• Give women a voice in political spaces
• Vote for women
• Include women in decision-making at leadership levels in all arenas
• Engage male allies
• Provide social services and safe spaces
• Support local women-led and women's rights groups
• Provide women cash support
• Educate and learn about the myths and realities of gender-based violence
• Improve laws to protect people, women and girls against gender-based violence
• Develop policies to stop gender-based violence
• Raise the cost to men and people perpetrating gender-based violence
• Raise boys to oppose violence and respect gender equality
• Teach and understand consent
• Speak up about and stand against rape culture
• Hold people accountable--see something, say something
• Do not ignore gender-based violence

Ending violence against women is building of peaceful society.

"UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls."

#16daysofactivism2023

References

Women in power in 2023: New data shows progress but wide regional gaps. (2023, March 7). UN Women - Headquarters. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from 

 

Facts and figures: Women's leadership and political participation. (2023, October 26). UN Women - Headquarters. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from 

 

WOMEN, BUSINESS AND THE LAW 2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. (n.d). Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/e3f5880b-2fa2-4af3-8ef4-3c9469d60baf/content

TAVARES, P., & WODON, Q. (n.d) GLOBAL AND REGIONAL TRENDS IN WOMEN'S LEGAL PROTECTION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUALHARRASSMENT [Review of GLOBAL AND REGIONAL TRENDS IN WOMEN'S LEGAL PROTECTION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUALHARRASMENT]. March 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from 

 

Female genital mutilation (n.d.) www.who.int. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from 

 

Adolescent pregnancy. (n.d.) www.who.int. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from 

 

Maternal mortality. (n.d.) www.who.int. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality#:~:text=Every%20day%20in

Girls' education | UNICEF. (n.d.). www.unicef.org. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.unicef.org/education/girlseducation#:~:text=Around%20the%20world

Leaving no girl behind in education. (2022, October 11). UN Women - Headquarters. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/10/leaving-no-girl-behind-in-education#:~:text=The%20report%20also%20notes

UNESCO. (2023, January 18). Let girls and women in Afghanistan learn! | UNESCO. www.unesco.or; UNESCO. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/let-girls-and-women-afghanistan-learn

Request Rejected. (2023). www.unesco.org. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/let-girls-and-women-afghanistan-learn#:~:text=Since%20September%202021

jcookson. (2023, October 5). Gender apartheid is a horror. Now the United Nations can make it a crime against humanity. Atlantic Council. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/gender-apartheid-is-a-horror-now-the-united-nations-can-make-it-a-crime-against-humanity/#:~:text=In%20Afghanistan%2C%20gender

The 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. (n.d). Sdgs.un.org. Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://sdgs.un.org/goals#:~:text=The%202030%20Agenda

PROGRESS ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS THE GENDER SNAPSHOT 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2023 from https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/documents/Publications/GenderSnapshot_2022.pdf