Gender Equality: An End in Itself and a
Cornerstone of Development
Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human right. Women
are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom from want and from
fear. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing
development and reducing poverty.
Empowered women contribute to the health and
productivity of whole families and communities and to improved
prospects for the next generation. The importance of gender equality
is underscored by its inclusion as one of the eight Millennium Development
Goals that serve as a framework for halving poverty and
improving lives. As clarified in the 2005 State of World
Population, gender equality is also key to achieving the other
seven goals.
Yet discrimination against women and girls -
including gender-based
violence, economic
discrimination, reproductive
health inequities, and harmful traditional
practices - remains the most pervasive and persistent forms of
inequality. In addition, women and girls bear enormous hardship
during and after conflict and other humanitarian
emergencies. For more than 30 years, the Fund has been in the
forefront of advocating for women, promoting legal and policy
reforms and gender-sensitive data collection, and supporting
projects that improve women's health and expand their choices in
life.
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