Women’s Rights Across the Globe

In a world that is more equal for women than ever before, we must continue to advance women’s rights in all areas of life. We must work to ensure that women can live free from violence and discrimination, enjoy economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full potential, and participate fully in the political, social, cultural, and economic processes of society. This work must go hand-in-hand with promoting high levels of overall freedom for all people.

The amazing changes in the lives of women that have taken place over seven generations in family life, religion, politics, education, employment and in many other realms, did not happen spontaneously or by chance. They came about because of the tireless efforts of seven generations of women activists who campaigned through meetings, petition drives, lobbying and nonviolent resistance. They argued that women should be paid the same wages as men for the same work and that they should be able to divorce their husbands and own property. They sought to make laws that were fair, and they fought to change societal attitudes with a “do-no-harm” approach that always aimed to respect families and communities as well as to address the root causes of inequality and injustice.

Even now, though, the progress made by women in all parts of the world is uneven. A woman is still paid only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and research shows that men own a staggering USD 100 trillion more in wealth than women do.

Globally, the most basic of women’s rights is being denied in large numbers: women are deprived of the ability to control their own bodies and to choose when, how often, and with whom they marry. One in four girls is married before their 18th birthday, which deprives them of a full education and puts them at risk for early death or injury from unintended pregnancies and childbirth. They are also deprived of the ability to choose how many children they want and when to have them. And, in many countries, they are at risk for gender-based violence including rape and other sexual assault, female genital mutilation, or forced abortion or sterilization.

In the United States, 76% of Democratic women and 64% of Republican women say that the country has not gone far enough in achieving women’s rights. Across educational attainment, women are more likely than men to view suffrage as the most important milestone in the advancement of women’s rights. This is because women are more likely to see the benefits of a broader set of reforms that address the underlying factors that create inequality. This includes tackling the root causes of violence and poverty in society, supporting men in societal transformation and ensuring that all initiatives are carefully considered to avoid backfire or regressive effects. Ultimately, it takes a global vision of what is possible and a commitment to a do-no-harm approach to equality. These principles are reflected in goal 5, to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. This is a vitally important and urgent objective, but it will not be achieved without deep legal and structural changes that will bring about a true gender revolution.