According to the UN, the world is “failing women and girls”.

In a new report on gender inequalities, published on Thursday 7 September, the United Nations deplores this fact worldwide “Let the women and girls go”.

Gender equality is “an increasingly distant goal”

In 2015, UN member states set 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at building a desirable future for all by 2030. But women are left on the sidelines in many respects, the report deplores.

“When you look at the data, you see that the world is failing to progress and achieve gender equality. This is becoming an increasingly distant goal,” analyzes Sarah Hendriks, deputy executive director of UN Women.

One of the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically dedicated to gender equality, particularly suffers from this, the report highlights: although it aims to put an end to discrimination, eliminate violence against women, forced marriages and genital mutilation, share the work of domestic workers, ensuring access to sexual health or even ensuring effective participation in political and economic life, most of the goals of this goal are not on the right track.

“By mid-2030, the world will abandon women and girls” deplores the UN report.

Violence against women is not decreasing

As the report recalls, every year 245 million women over the age of 15 are victims of physical violence by their partner. One in 5 women gets married before the age of 18. Women carry out 2.8 hours more of unpaid domestic work every day than their male colleagues and represent only 26.7% of parliamentarians.

To reverse the curve, the UN estimates that it would be necessary to invest another 360 billion dollars every year in around fifty developing countries. The latter represent 70% of the world population.

“We know what needs to be done and the world must pay for it. If we make gender equality a specific development goal, the trajectory can change” says Sarah Hendriks, for whom it is essential “putting women and girls at the centre”.

In July, the UN estimated that the Sustainable Development Goals were ” in danger “, asking a “safety plan”. A summit dedicated to this topic will be held in New York on 18 and 19 September.

As remembered Publication“ according to the UN, at the current rate, in 2030 575 million people will still live in conditions of extreme poverty, far from the desired eradication. But 342 million (60%) of them will be women.” Which corresponds approximately to one woman in twelve in the world.

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