At the U.N., Women Finally Given Their Due

This week the United Nations finally sat up and noticed women. The U.N. has announced that it will establish a single new agency to address women’s rights around the world. The new entity — which may be set up sometime next year — will sweep four extant U.N. agencies covering various aspects of women’s issues under the same umbrella for the first time.

Finally, women’s issues will come under the direction of an under-secretary-general — the third highest U.N. official — who will represent the interests of the female half of the global population in senior policy-making bodies, according to Global Post. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement today that he is “particularly gratified” that the U.N. has decided to take on “more robust promotion” of women’s rights.

Though women in the developed world have made remarkable gains in the last few decades, they are still vulnerable to abuses, and women in developing nations — especially the poorest ones — really need the help. Check out these facts, courtesy of USAID:

In the least-developed countries, 1 in 17 women die during pregnancy and childbirth. Nearly one-fifth of the girls enrolled in primary school in developing countries do not complete their primary education.Studies of gendered violence find that that between one-fifth and one-half of the world’s women face domestic violence at some time in their lives. Research by the U.S. Government has found that, around 800,000 people, many of them women, are trafficked across national borders annually. As if that’s not enough, women comprise a remarkable 72 percent of the Earth’s 33 million refugees.

Helping these women improve their lot not only helps the female half but also improves the societies in which they live. GDP goes up when women are educated and can earn incomes. Educated women are healthier and have healthier families. Women who earn incomes spend the lion’s share of what they make on domestic needs.

And beyond that, women just rock in general (I may be partial . . .), so I’m glad to see that the world community is giving them the time of day.

 

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng