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Women and Children: The Double Dividend of Gender Equality
Monday, January 14, 2008 10:35 AM
In a newly published report entitled “The State of the World’s Children 2007: Women and Children, The Double Dividend of Gender Equality,” UNICEF highlights the importance of improving gender equality to advance the quality of life for both women and children. Children reap the benefits of mothers who are educated, healthy, and empowered. The report highlights the problems of unequal education, early marriage, sexual abuse and trafficking, HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls. Equality in the home, at the workplace, in government and politics are all areas that the report contends are vital to realizing gender equality. Equality in the household will be enhanced by better education, improved ownership, and eliminating domestic violence. Equality in employment could be advanced through honoring unpaid work, supplying childcare, supporting women’s businesses, and discouraging employment discrimination. Encouraging women’s political representation, even through quotas like in South Asia, and participation will increase equality in politics and government, since studies have shown that women prioritize social issues. The report recommends increasing women’s access to education, focusing resources and encouraging research, writing and implementing legislation that ensures equity, and encouraging grassroots movements and participation of men and boys. Compiled from: “The State of the World’s Children 2007: Women and Children, The Double Dividend of Gender Equality,” UNICEF, 11 December 2007.
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