Women’s Rights in Developing Countries

Women are the powerhouses of developing countries — they produce most of the food, work in public and private sectors, and care for their families. But they tend to be paid less than men, face discrimination and abuse, and are at greater risk of violence. When women are respected, communities thrive. But too often, progress on women’s rights is stalled or even reversed. It’s time to reclaim our collective determination to end gender inequality once and for all.

When first raised, many issues of the women’s movement were highly controversial. Allowing women to go to college? That would shrink their reproductive organs! Employing them outside the home? That could ruin families! Voting in national elections? That’s foreign to our traditional values! Ultimately, however, these movements led to victories that were transformative for women.

Today, more than 180 states have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, which establishes a bill of rights for all women and girls. This is a great start, but there’s more work to be done if we want to see the ideal of gender equality become a reality.

Increasing women’s legal freedoms is key to ending violence against women. Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. This is largely because of the societal tolerance of violence against women and ingrained gender norms that condone abusive behavior towards women. By promoting gender equality, we can change the culture that tolerates exploitation and violence, and ensure women’s safety and freedom.

Gender equality is also linked to higher levels of economic freedom for both men and women. Studies show that when women have equal access to education, jobs and incomes, they can contribute more fully to their societies. In addition, high levels of economic freedom are linked to a lower rate of domestic and sexual violence.

Although much progress has been made over the past 50 years, the world still has a long way to go to achieve gender equality. In the area of economic freedom, for example, only 65% of countries in the Middle East and North Africa treat women equally with men.

Other challenges include the fact that more than half of the world’s population lives in poverty, and the majority of those are women. While there are many reasons for this, a major factor is that women are often overlooked in development policies and in the decision-making process. Changing this situation will require that governments prioritize gender equity in the design of policies, programs and funding. And it will take people of all backgrounds and beliefs to push for change. Because, after all, a prosperous, equitable and sustainable world requires everyone’s full participation. That’s why it is so important to fight for women’s rights. Because we can’t get there unless we all stand up for the women who will make it possible.