Promote gender equality and empower women
Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 - and in all levels of education no later than 2015.
Progress
The gender gap is slowly closing in school enrolment in the developing world, with 95 girls of primary school age in school for every 100 boys in 2006 compared with 92 in 1999.
But significant gender disparities remain. The largest gaps are in West Asia, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa where respectively 91, 89 and 89 girls are enrolled in primary school for every 100 boys. Gender gaps also increase with higher levels of education.
MDG 3 indicators
Female Literacy Women make up around 64% of the estimated 774 million illiterate adults in the world. Globally 77% of adult women are literate, compared to 87% of men.
Non-agricultural employment Worldwide, income-earning opportunities for women have increased. But in developing countries, the majority of women work in the informal sector or as unpaid family workers, and so lack security of income. In Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, this type of work accounts for more than 80% of all jobs for women.
Political representation Progress in increasing the number of seats held by women in national parliaments is slow. Worldwide, as of September 2008, women occupied just over 18% of the seats in single and lower houses of national parliaments, a negligible increase over the past year.
Key messages
We cannot end poverty and reach the MDGs until we have eliminated discrimination against women and girls. Women have a vital contribution to make: to the economy, to better governance, to peace processes, to their communities and their households. Continuing discrimination reduces their contribution, making us all worse off.
Gender equality is also an issue of human rights. International human rights treaties prohibit discrimination against women.
The MDG 3 target recognises that education for girls is one of the most effective ways of reducing poverty. But education alone is not enough. Achieving MDG 3 also requires progress in other key areas including:
- political participation
- access to productive assets and employment opportunities
- access to health and other services
- protection from violence.
Gender equality underpins progress on all the MDGs. Development makes little sense if half the population is prevented from fully benefiting from, and contributing to it.
Facts and figures
- Educated girls have better opportunities to earn higher wages, and participate in community life and decision-making. They tend to marry later, have fewer, healthier children who are more likely to attend school themselves.
- In Africa, children of mothers who have received 5 years of primary education are 40% more likely to live beyond the age of 5.
- Girls’ net enrolment ratio (NER) in primary school (as a proportion of boys’ NER) has improved from a global average of 88% in 1991 to 97% in 2006.
- However, completion rates are lower. In Sub-Saharan Africa, this was as low as 55% for girls and 65% for boys in 2006.
- Girls still account for 55% of the out-of-school population. Girls in rural areas and from the poorest households are less likely to enrol and stay in school.
- Worldwide, a woman dies every minute from complications in pregnancy or childbirth. Of these deaths, 99% are in developing countries.
- Gender inequality is bad for economic growth. For example Tanzania could increase growth by an estimated one percentage point by removing barriers to women entrepreneurs.
- In Kenya, women own nearly half of all micro-, small and medium enterprises, but they receive less than 10% of the available credit.
- Violence affects at least one in three women worldwide; one in five women will suffer rape or attempted rape in the course of their lifetime.
- Indian girls are 61% more likely than boys to die between the ages of 1 and 5, due to neglect.
Challenges and Solutions
In many countries, gender inequalities permeate every level of society. Changing attitudes, perceptions and behaviours are vital to achieving greater levels of equality between women and men.
Need for more evidence of the impact and cost of discrimination
Solid evidence of the causes, impacts and costs of gender inequality is essential. Gender specific research and improved data are key to understanding challenges and developing solutions.
Need for greater involvement of women in decision-making
Gender equality can only be achieved when women have the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes which affect them, their families, communities and, ultimately, their countries. All too often women are excluded from decision-making, both within the home and in public.
Reducing conflict
Gender-specific violence, such as rape, prostitution, trafficking and other sexual abuse is increasingly used as a weapon during armed conflicts. The international response to such crises needs to take account of the unique threats posed to women. And of the important role which women can, and do, play in peacekeeping and reconstruction.
Need to engage men and boys
Men and women both stand to gain from gender equality. The important role which men and boys play in promoting gender equality is frequently overlooked.
What the UK government is doing to help
Our overall commitment
DFID has made a commitment to give “greater priority to work in support of gender equality and women’s rights”. The Gender Equality Action Plan (2007) set out how we will use our development assistance programmes more effectively for women and girls. The accompanying publication “Gender Equality at the Heart of Development “highlighted examples of existing work. The second Progress Report on implementation of the Action Plan was published in July 2009.
The objective of the Action Plan is to ensure that DFID integrates gender equality into all areas of work. DFID’s overarching priorities such as trade, economic growth, conflict, and climate change are not separate from addressing gender equality. Work in these areas aims to improve opportunities for poor men and women. It therefore needs to address gender inequalities to achieve its objectives.
Key areas of work
Education
Girls' education is one of DFID’s priorities.
Maternal Health
Recent new commitments include £8.5m per year core funding for International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) announced in July 2008.
Conflict and security
DFID is one of three government departments responsible for the UK’s National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
HIV and AIDS
DFID’s updated AIDS strategy (June 2008) highlights the need to tackle the increased risks for women.
Women’s economic empowerment
Work aims to help improve access by women to financial services and economic opportunities.
Climate change
DFID work includes research into gender dimensions of climate change, and support to mainstream gender issues into national and international climate change strategies.
Good Governance
Work includes support to women’s participation in elections both as voters and candidates, and their access to justice.
Working with international partners
DFID cannot bring about the significant improvements needed to achieve MDG3 alone. A core part of our work is collaboration with other donors to ensure a more effective international system for achieving gender equality. We are contributing to discussions aimed at the creation of a new stronger UN agency for women.
Sources
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) UIS (will appear in the Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2009)
- UN MDG Progress Report 2008
- UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008
- UN MDG Progress Report 2008
- Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- UNGEI
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) UIS (will appear in the Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2009)
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) UIS (will appear in the Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2008)
- UN MDG Progress Report 2005
- Tanzania Gender & Growth assessment, IFC et al 2007
- World Bank Doing Business in 2006.
- State of the World’s Mothers report, Save the Children, 2008.
- UNIFEM
- DFID White Paper “Making Governance Work for the Poor” (2006).