Gender Equality

Gender equality is a key ingredient in reducing poverty and is a basic human right. Gender inequality restricts a country's economic growth, yet currently:

• 500,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy – 99% of them in developing countries.
• Two-thirds of the 800 million people in the world who lack basic literacy skills are female.
• Women hold just 3% of seats in the parliaments of the Pacific Islands, 19% in East Asia.

When women and men have relative equality economies grow faster, children's health improves and there is less corruption. Investment in women's and girls' education and health yields some of the highest returns of all development investments, including reduced rates of maternal mortality, better educated and healthier children, and increased household incomes. Gender equality means access to economic resources, participation and leadership in decision making, respect for the human rights of women, and an increased capacity to tackle gender inequalities.

Past forums on this topic:

What needs to change for women to get a fair go?
Wednesday, 6 August 2008, Sydney NSW
Gender inequality and development

Women of the World
Sunday, 8 March 2009, Adelaide SA
Feeding Families, Sustaining Communities