Progress towards gender equality lagging says UN

A new United Nations report is warning that progress made towards gender equality is lagging and hard-fought gains are under threat as the international community gears up to observe International Women’s Day tomorrow.

The report, titled :“Women’s Rights in Review 25 years after Beijing” and  launched by UN Women provides a comprehensive stock-take on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, which remains the most comprehensive agenda for gender equality ever agreed.

The report finds that progress towards gender equality is faltering and hard-won advances are being reversed. Rampant inequality, the climate emergency, conflict and the alarming rise of exclusionary politics all threaten future progress towards gender equality.

The report flags the lack of effective action to boost women’s representation at the tables of power and warns that the vision of the Beijing Platform for Action will never be realised if the most excluded women and girls are not acknowledged and prioritised.

“The review of women’s rights shows that, despite some progress, no country has achieved gender equality. Equality isn’t just one quarter of the seats at the tables of power. But that’s the current reality of women’s representation, across the board,” said UN Women’s Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

She said men are 75 per cent of parliamentarians, hold 73 per cent of managerial positions, are 70 per cent of climate negotiators and almost all of the peacemakers.

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