The report entitled ‘Equality for Women: Where Do We Stand on Millennium Development Goal 3’ was released today during a joint seminar of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the World Bank.
According to the report women’s health and education have improved substantially in most of the countries, but progress is still lagging on improving their economic opportunities. The investments of the tune of some $13 bn a year is needed to achieve the overall goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The report says that out of 122 countries for which data are available, 82 achieved the official MDG3 target of gender parity in primary and secondary enrollment by 2005. However, 19 countries, 13 of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa, are seriously off track to meet this target. Also, in general, progress in expanding women’s opportunities (employment and political participation) has lagged behind progress in expanding women’s capabilities (education and health.
The report also notes that no country or region have achieved gender equality in all the areas covered by the MDG3 plus indicators. The health indicators single out the high mortality rates of girls under age 5 in East Asia and Pacific and South Asia, as well as the high adolescent fertility rates in 36 countries, with a majority of those countries in Sub- Saharan Africa.
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