[women-rights] Gender equality produces a 'double dividend' that benefits both women and children, UNICEF reports

UNICEF Press release

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 11 December 2006 -- Eliminating gender discrimination and
empowering women will have a profound and positive impact on the survival
and well-being of children, according to a new UNICEF report issued on
UNICEF's 60th anniversary.

Gender equality produces the "double dividend" of benefiting both women
and children and is pivotal to the health and development of families,
communities and nations, according to The State of the World's Children
2007.

"Gender equality and the well-being of children are inextricably linked,"
said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "When women are empowered
to lead full and productive lives, children and families prosper."

According to the report, women's influence in key decisions improves the
lives of women and has a positive effect on child well-being and
development.

Despite progress in women's status in recent decades, the lives of
millions of girls and women are overshadowed by discrimination,
disempowerment and poverty. Girls and women are disproportionately
affected by HIV/AIDS and women in most places earn less than men for equal
work. Millions of women throughout the world are subject to physical and
sexual violence, with little recourse to justice. As a result of
discrimination, girls are less likely to attend school; nearly one out of
every five girls who enroll in primary school in developing countries does
not complete a primary education. Education levels among women, says the
report, correlate with improved outcomes for child survival and
development.

"If we care about the health and well-being of children today and into the
future, we must work now to ensure that women and girls have equal
opportunities to be educated, to participate in government, to achieve
economic self-sufficiency and to be protected from violence and
discrimination," Veneman said.

A roadmap to gender equality 

The State of the World’s Children 2007 presents seven key
interventions to enhance gender equality:

* Education: Key actions include abolishing school fees and encouraging
parents and communities to invest in girls' education.

* Financing: Little recognition has been given to the resources needed to
meet the goal of gender equality and women's empowerment. Investment to
eliminate gender discrimination must be integrated into government budgets
and plans.

* Legislation: National legislation in property law and inheritance rights
should ensure a level playing field for women, alongside measures to
prevent and respond to domestic violence and gender-based violence in
conflict.

* Legislative quotas: Quotas are a proven method of ensuring women's
participation in politics. Of the 20 countries with the most women in
parliament, 17 use some form of quota system.

* Women empowering women: Grassroots women’s movements have been
vocal champions for equality and empowerment and should be involved in the
early stages of policy formation so that programmes are designed with the
needs of women and children in mind.

* Engaging men and boys: Educating men and boys, as well as women and
girls, on the benefits of gender equality and joint decision-making can
help nurture more cooperative relationships.

* Improved research and data: Better data and analysis are critical,
especially on maternal mortality, violence against women, education,
employment, wages, unpaid work and time use, and participation in
politics.

Closed out of household decisions 

The report finds that women do not always have an equal say in crucial
household decisions, which can have negative consequences for children. In
only 10 of 30 developing countries surveyed did 50 per cent or more of
women participate in all household decisions, including those regarding
major household spending, their own health care or their visits to friends
or relatives outside the home.

Women's ability to control their own lives and make decisions that affect
their families is closely linked to child nutrition, health and education,
the report states. In families where women are key decision-makers, the
proportion of resources devoted to children is far greater than those in
which women have a less decisive role.

A study by the International Food Policy Research Institute found that if
men and women had equal influence in decision-making, the incidence of
underweight children under three years old in South Asia would fall by up
to 13 percentage points, resulting in 13.4 million fewer undernourished
children in the region. In sub-Saharan Africa, an additional 1.7 million
children would be adequately nourished.

Gender gap in earnings 

As income in the hands of women can reap benefits for children, gender
gaps in earnings can decrease or limit the resources available to meet
children’s rights, such as health care, adequate nutrition and
education.

Estimates based on wage differentials and participation in the labour
force suggest that women's estimated earned income is around 30 per cent
of men's in countries surveyed in the Middle East and North Africa, around
40 per cent in Latin America and South Asia, 50 per cent in sub-Saharan
Africa and around 60 per cent in CEE/CIS, East Asia and industrialized
countries, the report states.

The political sphere 

Women's increased involvement in political systems can also have a
positive impact on the well-being of children. Growing evidence from
industrialized and developing countries alike suggests that women in
legislative bodies have been especially effective advocates for children.
Yet as of July 2006, women accounted for just under 17 per cent of all
parliamentarians worldwide.

Welcoming the report, Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary-General of the
Inter-parliamentary Union said: "There are clear links between the
political representation of women and the well-being of children. The
State of the World's Children report, which is a global reference on all
issues to children and a vital resource for us all, demonstrates this
fundamental point in more ways than one."

Key to strong societies 

The benefits of gender equality go beyond their direct impact on children.
The State of the World's Children shows how promoting gender equality and
empowering women -- Millennium Development Goal number 3 -- will propel
all of the other goals, from reducing poverty and hunger to saving
children's lives, improving maternal health, ensuring universal education,
combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and ensuring environmental
sustainability.