Achieving gender equality is not just important because it’s ‘the right thing to do’, it can also provide huge benefits to your business. Even when women do work, the gender pay gap means they aren’t earning as much as men. More years of schooling also means girls marry at a later age and are less vulnerable to intimate partner violence. Gender equality is not just the concern of half of the world’s population; it is a human right, a concern for us all, because no society can develop – economically, politically, or socially – when half of its population is marginalized. As Emma Watson said in her address to the United Nations: "It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, not as two opposing sets of ideals." Women are entitled to live with dignity and with freedom from want and from fear. Globally, women only earn 81 cents for every dollar that men earn. 1) Educating women and girls saves lives Did you know that each extra year of schooling that a mother receives reduces the risk of infant mortality by 5 – 10%? Consider these seven volunteer programs. As well as working to provide better education for young girls, GVI participants facilitate professional development classes. States with better gender equality are less likely to use military force. free course on Women’s Health and Human Rights, Campaigning For Human Rights: Ideas To Get Started, How to Register an NGO in the United States, 5 Labour Law Books To Learn More About Worker’s Rights, By continuing, you accept the privacy policy. United Nations Scholarships Despite abundant evidence that gender equality in leadership is good for business, an overwhelming majority of organizations say advancing women into leadership roles is not a formal business priority. Everyone benefits from gender equality. By continuing to browse you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Sexism in the medical research community also leads to worse care. A McKinsey report found that ‘for every 10% increase in gender diversity, earnings rose by 3.5%.’ So more gender diversity equals more profit. Human Rights Books, Human Rights Law (Louvain) Gender pay gaps end up costing the economy. Women’s Rights (Stanford) In OECD countries, if the female employment rates were raised to match Sweden, it would lead to a GDP increase equivalent to $6 trillion. When women receive better education, healthcare, and job opportunities, they can thrive. In the face of this data, gender equality needs to be a priority. This website uses cookies for an improved user experience. When a country addresses major areas of gender inequality like education and employment, it fosters peace. Young Professional Programs But we’re also asking why gender equality is so crucial to the elimination of poverty. Sustainable development relies on ending discrimination towards women and providing equal opportunities for education and employment. More years of schooling also means girls marry at a later age and are less vulnerable to intimate partner violence. These gender gaps impose real costs on society… As the World Bank Group’s Women, Business, and the Law 2020 points out, “equality of opportunity is good economics.” Indeed, it is estimated that women’s lagging participation in employment and entrepreneurship cost the world about 15 percent of its GDP. In addition, less than 20% of landowners in the world are women. 5 Fully Funded PhDs in Human Rights Here are 10 reasons why it’s important: #1. It is about each human being, irrespective of their gender to be treated equally in all aspects. Answer: Gender equality is not that important in terms of roles at home but somehow important tho. For example, the World Bank reported that many women around the world are still, prevented by law from working in certain jobs, men can legally forbid their wives from working. Here are five reasons why. Why is Gender Equality Important? Because of this, when women earn more income, the health and education of their children improves. Children raised in gender-equal environments will do better than those raised with inequality. One 2016 study from the University of California looked at big companies in the state with some women in the top leadership positions. Other data shows that climate change, which makes natural disasters more dangerous, puts women and girls in even more vulnerable positions. Gender equality should just be intrinsic, and until it truly is we all still have work to do!" Inequality between genders doesn’t only affect individuals – it can change entire economies. Gender Equality is so essential to advancing human progress that it is the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, as the UN explains: “Advancing gender equality is critical to all areas of a healthy society, from reducing poverty to promoting the health, education, protection and the well-being of girls and boys.” Over 2 billion women don’t have the same employment options as men. Sightsavers ran a workshop in Dakar in December 2019 to promote gender mainstreaming in all its programmes. Gender equality is a human right. Refugee Rights (Amnesty International) In 18 countries, men can legally forbid their wives from working. With better education and job options, women and girls don’t end up in trafficking situations as often. Here’s a closer look at why equal access to education, healthcare and job opportunities is important, what we’re doing about it, and how you can get involved as a volunteer. It's because women have to deserve an equal things as same as the men. They’re often not taken as seriously by medical professionals. Women are part of the solution Where women are already playing a crucial role in developing sustainable development solutions, their contributions are often not recognised. UN Womenreported that in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, half of the economic growth over the past 50 yearsis attributed to girls having better access to education, as well as increases in the num… Preserving the rights of women and providing them with opportunities to achieve their potential is important for gender equality. Gender equality benefits everyone, which is why it has been nominated as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 5: Gender Equality. The UN states that women’s education is a crucial factor in, half of the people suffering from chronic hunger are women, For each extra year of primary schooling, girls will, earn 10 to 20% more when they start working. Taking a gap year during college? But, why should gender equality matter to me? In areas such as North Africa, the number of women landowners is less than 5%. Gender bias is a prejudice of one gender over another. It’s women working longer hours than men but being paid less. Natural disasters are one example. Eradicate all forms of abuse and violence against them in private and public space in all spheres of life. Because of this, when women earn more income, the health and education of their children improves. . There are a million reasons why we should all fight together for gender equality and put an end to gender … Natural disasters are one example. (UN MDGs), in almost all countries around the world women still face barriers to the labour market. It’s also due to a decrease in the gap between the number of years of schooling that girls receive when compared to boys. Through these programs, GVI has assisted women in playing more active roles in their communities and in wider society. Humanitarian Law (Louvain) While progress has been made, the numbers from groups like UN Women tell a discouraging story. Not only men who must be educated, but also the women are worth it to receive it. "Gender equality" means simply that every employee has access to the same benefits, which is why equality is an "everyone" issue. Equality prevents any section of a society from dominating other sections in processes such as community capacity building. Because of their lack of empowerment and resources in many places, women and girls face life-threatening risks. women and young girls’ access to education in India, develop themselves professionally in Cambodia. Women are worth it to receive the good education. Why is gender equality so important? At the 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction, experts discussed how gender inequality plays a role in death and injury. And, more options for employment translate into increased independence and income, enabling women to be agents of change in their own lives. Get free updates about online courses, paid internships, bachelor's and master's programs, scholarships, summer schools and other educational opportunities delivered to your inbox. Human Rights Movies on Netflix Organizations Offering Entry Level Jobs Studies also show that reduced infant mortality is linked to higher levels of education. Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. target of making sure that women play an active role in decision making and have the same leadership opportunities as men. We offer a range of women’s empowerment internships and volunteer programs that address gender inequality. Few organizations make gender equality in leadership a formal business priority, but those that do outperform. Diseases that affect women more than men (such as chronic pain conditions) aren’t as well-researched. When women receive the same education and job opportunities as men, they can improve any organization they join. 5 Free United Nations Online Courses Not only does it affect the lives of individual men and women, but the inequality between genders also stunts economic growth and hinders development. And our organisation sets an example here, with more than half of the women at GVI holding decision-making positions. Gender equality: why is it important? Gender equality has been conclusively shown to stimulate economic growth, which is important, especially in countries with higher unemployment rates and less economic opportunity. Research shows that gender equality is linked to peace, even more so than a country’s GDP or level of democracy. Despite progress made under the UN Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs), in almost all countries around the world women still face barriers to the labour market. Globally, When women have paid work, they invest as much as, 90% of their earnings back into their families. , you can contribute directly to global gender equality. White and Asian women earn more than black, Hispanic, and native women. Learning Provider Number (LPN): 10002692 Gender equality is intrinsically linked to sustainable development and is vital to the realization of human rights for all. This notion of a wider talent pool is one of the important reasons to me why gender equality is important. That’s why the best companies are open to a diverse and balanced work environment, supporting and actively promoting gender equality. It’s women making up two-thirds of all illiterate people in the world. Burnout as Human Rights Worker. Unless women have access to empowerment opportunities, allowing them to join the workforce, many countries won’t develop as well as they could. Sustainable development relies on ending discrimination towards women, and providing equal opportunities for education and employment. And women and young girls bear the brunt of poverty. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier. Take action on gender equality and browse more women’s empowerment projects today. Recognizing this importance, in 2015 the United Nations member states adopted gender equality as part of their integrated plan to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Gender equality is an essential element of sustainable and inclusive development. Advancing gender equality is critical to all Poverty rates are the highest among young girls. Both of these types of violence affect a woman’s safety and freedom. Why is gender equality important? Boston, MA, 02110 that address gender inequality. When issues like gender inequality persist it causes social progress to become stagnate, promotes poverty, and leaves our young girls and women without access to healthcare, education, and proper nutrition. Why is Gender Equality Important in Women Empowerment? To demonstrate … This is also an important step that can help meet a wide range of international development goals. Gender equality is an important issue for Millennials, especially in the workplace. UN Women reported that in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, half of the economic growth over the past 50 years is attributed to girls having better access to education. Here are just four of the reasons why: 1. There are many reasons for this, including lack of education and lower incomes. Gender equality and race equality are closely linked. , which is important, especially in countries with higher unemployment rates and less economic opportunity. The UN states that women’s education is a crucial factor in cutting child mortality rates. When women make their own reproductive choices, their lives improve. Petrina Darrah is a travel writer from New Zealand with a passion for responsible travel and gender equality. is attributed to girls having better access to education. How to Become a Human Rights Activist Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. Gender equality in the workplace means both making sure women have the same opportunities, and are paid the same as men for equal work. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. reported that in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, half of the economic growth over the past 50 years. When children are about 2 years old, they learn about the physical differences between boys and girls and by the age of 4, they have a stable sense of their identity. Career and professional advancement shouldn’t be important for women. In the face of this data, gender equality needs to be a priority. Mao Zedong once said, "women hold up half the sky," acknowledging the importance of women in the growth of society. Bringing a gender perspective into discussions allows women to play a bigger role in their own protection. The gap between genders is widest in low and middle-income countries. United Nations SDGs (Copenhagen) Research shows that in general, women receive worse medical care than men. With income options equal to men, mothers can offer education, healthcare, and healthier food to their children. Through these programs, GVI has assisted women in playing more active roles in their communities and in wider society. When gender equality considers race as a factor, it improves race equality at the same time. Cancel anytime. To add to the support available to women around the world, you can volunteer in women’s empowerment projects. Sightsavers, January 2020 When a child is born, what is the first question we ask? Gender equality would help get rid of such issues and ensure a better life for the oppressed sex. Here’s why you need it in your workplace. On paper, gender inequality is a long list of statistics showing the imbalance of power between men and women. Whether you’re adding to women and young girls’ access to education in India, assisting  women to develop themselves professionally in Cambodia, or facilitating women’s healthcare workshops in Laos, you can contribute directly to global gender equality. It’s essential for economic prosperity. It is important to create an open and friendly atmosphere to address gender discrimination issues; therefore it is critical to involve men and women rather than only women. Gender equality seems like a faraway dream these days. Studies show that increasing women’s participation in the economy is good for the economy. Gender equality is good for children Reproductive rights are a key part of gender equality. These sessions contribute towards women expanding their skill sets and, as a result, having access to better job opportunities. Children’s Human Rights (Harvard) Globally, more than half of the people suffering from chronic hunger are women. Studies show that diversity of all types (gender, race, sexual identity, etc) increases an organization’s productivity and innovation. Gender inequality keeps women and their families trapped in cycles of poverty. It can be conscious or unconscious and can manifest in various ways ranging from subtle glances to obvious reactions. “Why is equality important” is the topic of discussion. Such as, EDUCATION, RIGHTS, and many more. These fuel human trafficking. Within issues like the gender pay gap, race plays a big role. Women’s impact doesn’t stop with individual companies and organizations. While men are also victims of human trafficking, women and girls make up the majority. They performed better than the companies with mostly men at the top. And as I said, for any society to progress economically, socially, educationally, technologically and health-wise, it must create room for equality … The ubiquitous hashtag #genderdiversity is used for everything from salary disparity to sexual harassment – certainly extremely important issues … GVI has a variety of projects that focus on these areas. Even when women do work, the gender pay gap means they aren’t earning as much as men. She has worked in France, Colombia, the Philippines, and Tanzania, and has travelled to about 50 countries in between. What's the deal with GVI's Global Digital Open Days? The fight for gender equality benefits both men and women. The UN has set the following targets emphasizing gender equality is important for sustainable development: Putting an end to all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere. This is a year of global action. For each extra year of primary schooling, girls will earn 10 to 20% more when they start working. Is it better to give to a charity or volunteer? Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty: Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities, and they improve prospects for the next generation. Here are 10 reasons why it’s important: Because of their lack of empowerment and resources in many places, women and girls face life-threatening risks. At the current rate, it will take about a century to close the global pay gap. Companies often report that they’re highly committed to gender diversity, but this commitment has not yet translated into meaningful progress. Work as Protection Associate at UNHCR Gender equality has been conclusively shown to stimulate economic growth, which is crucial for low-income countries. To help address this, our women’s empowerment projects look at professional development and ongoing training. It’s women working longer hours than men but being paid less. 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