Empowering
women to lead self-determined lives
My vision for a self-determined life
I can complete my education
Read moreI can achieve economic independence
Read moreI dream beyond traditional roles for women and can fully participate in all areas of society
Read moreI choose who and when to marry
Read moreI have access to the productive and financial assets I need for a dignified life
Read moreI choose how many children to have and when
Read moreI am safe from gender-based violence
Read moreI share unpaid care work equally with my partner and family
Read more
I can complete my education
1 in 3 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 12 girls in the Middle East and North Africa and 1 in 14 girls in South Asia do not complete even primary school (Center for Global Development).
From the 122 million girls out of school worldwide, over half live in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNESCO).
In Least Developed Countries, 39% of women on average are illiterate, compared to 26% of men (World Bank).
I can complete my education – why it matters
Education leads to higher wages, better access to quality jobs, better health outcomes for children and increased independence for women.
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Women with more education are more likely to work in higher quality jobs, with access to benefits such as sick and maternity leave and pensions.
For example, every additional year of primary school increases girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%.
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Women with secondary education are more likely to report having control over personal and economic decisions .
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A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5 than a child born to an illiterate woman.
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Educated women can better protect their health and that of their families. For example, a study in Zambia found that HIV spreads twice as fast among uneducated girls.
In developing countries, increased mother’s education leads to increased vaccination rates for their children.
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Educated girls have fewer, healthier and better educated children. For each additional year of a mother’s education, the average child attains an extra 0.32 years, and for girls the benefit is slightly larger.
I can achieve economic independence
The global labour force participation rate for women is just over 50% compared to 80% for men. In the Middle East and North Africa, less than 19% of women participate in the labour force (World Bank).
104 countries restrict the kind of jobs women can have, and 18 countries require a husband’s permission for a woman to work outside the home (CFR).
Worldwide, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. This gap is larger for women with children (U.N. Women).
The difference in expected lifetime earnings between women and men amounted to $172.3 trillion globally even before the coronavirus pandemic—twice the size of the world’s annual GDP (World Bank).
12 countries (including a developed one such as the U.S.) do not have legally mandated paid maternity leave, and 75 countries do not guarantee mothers an equivalent position after taking maternity leave (CFR).
I can achieve economic independence – why it matters
Economic independence for women can break the poverty cycle, bring increased prosperity to communities, accelerate investments into the next generation and increase life satisfaction and sense of agency for women, among other positive effects.
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Higher female labour force participation increases women’s earnings, reducing poverty and increasing living standards in their families and communities.
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Women who earn are willing to reinvest up to 90% of their earnings into their families, compared to 30-40% for men
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In a scenario in which women play an identical role in labor markets to that of men, as much as $28 trillion, or 26 percent, could be added to global annual GDP by 2025.
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Women who have access to their own sources of income report higher life satisfaction and increased sense of agency. They are also freer to escape dangerous situations such as violent relationships.
I dream beyond traditional roles for women and can fully participate in all areas of society
As of May 2024, there are only 28 countries where women serve as Heads of State and/or Government (UN Women).
Only 27.0% of parliamentarians are women (IPU).
Women represent 22.8% of Cabinet members heading Ministries, leading a policy area (UN Women).
Women CEOs run 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies. A quarter of the 52 leaders became CEO in the last year (Fortune).
Women hold only 23.3% of the world’s board seats (Deloitte).
Although women earn 50% of bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering, they constitute only 35% of the STEM workforce (NCGP).
I dream beyond traditional roles for women – why it matters
Women’s representation in all areas of the economy and of society, particularly in positions of power and responsibility, can bring positive change for everyone.
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Research has proven that countries with more women in power enjoy higher peace and stability.
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Often, women in power can tackle issues affecting women and also holding back development.
In India, a study found that the introduction of quotas for women in parliament resulted in a 9-12% decline in maternal mortality
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Research has shown that firms with more women in senior positions tend to be more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences
IMPORTANT: The list of issues presented on this page is not intended to be an exhaustive account of all problems faces by women worldwide, but rather a snapshot the main ones identified by research. Similarly, the references and weblinks provided under each issue are just a sample of existing resources on these topics.
I choose who and when to marry
In 2021, there were an estimated 22 million people in forced marriages. 2/3 were women and girls (ILO).
Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 23 girls every minute, nearly 1 girl every 2 seconds (HRC).
In the least developed countries, 40% of girls are married before age 18, and 12% of girls are married before age 15 (OHCHR).
I choose who and when to marry – why it matters
Child and forced marriage are internationally recognised as human rights violations. Both lead to increased chances of gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, earlier drop-out from education and lower employment and earnings, as well as to enormous human suffering for the victims.
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Forced marriages most often imply sexual exploitation and forced labour in disguise of “marriage”. Women represent 55% of victims of forced labour and 98% of victims of sexual exploitation worldwide.
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People in forced marriages experience higher rates of emotional and physical violence.
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Victims of forced marriage tend to drop out of school early, stay out of the labour force and remain economically dependent their entire life.
Child brides have worse economic and health outcomes than their unmarried peers, which are eventually passed down to their children, further straining a country’s capacity to provide quality health and education.
I have equal access to the assets i need for a dignified livelihood
Just under 850 million people around the world do not have an official ID. Women are 8% less likely to have one than men. This leads to obstacles in opening a bank account, getting insurance and receiving government benefits, among other essential services (ID4D).
Over 70 percent of women do not own any land (World Bank). As of June 2023 less than one in five landholders worldwide are women (UN).
75 countries restrict women property rights (such as how they can inherit) (CFR).
In Sub-Saharan Africa, women are still 12% less likely than men to own a bank account or a mobile phone (World Bank).
In 2022, 62% of men in the world had internet access, compared to 57% of women. Only 19% of women in less developed countries use the internet (ITU).
I have equal access to the assets i need for a dignified livelihood – why it matters
Equal legal rights and access to productive assets, technology, financial and insurance products allow women to increase and protect their earnings and improve their livelihoods, benefitting their families and communities.
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Women who have access to their own bank accounts, pensions, insurance and other financial instruments enjoy higher financial security and lower risk of poverty throughout their lives.
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In developing economies, women are 20% less likely than men to have an account at a formal financial institution and 17% less likely to have borrowed formally in the past year. Obstacles to access financing, such as gender unequal legal requirements and social norms, mean humanity is missing out on the potential of women entrepreneurs.
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Women who lack I.D., or face higher barriers than men in accessing personal identification, are at higher risk of being bypassed by government benefits, even when they are the ones who need them the most.
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In more than 30 countries women and girls do not have the same rights to own or inherit land as men and boys.
A growing body of empirical research finds that strengthening women’s land and property rights can increase returns of women’s labor, increase their control over and ability to benefit from family assets, and increases women’s voice and agency. Together, these shifts in women’s position within the household can create a profound ripple effect on income, food security, land stewardship, and children’s welfare.
I choose how many children to have and when
Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls globally (WHO).
Nearly half of all pregnancies, 121 million each year around the world, are unintended (UNFPA).
Over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of all abortions are unsafe, causing 5 – 13% of all maternal deaths (UNFPA).
In 111 countries, there is no law explicitly criminalising marital rape (CFR).
Every year, 21 million girls aged 15-19 years in developing regions become pregnant and 12 million of them give birth (WHO).
I choose how many children to have and when – why it matters
Choosing whether and when to have children is the most fundamental expression of bodily autonomy. When women are empowered to decide for themselves, they can make choices that prevent poverty and health risks for themselves and their babies.
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Unwanted pregnancies lead to higher poverty rates, and vice versa.
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Children of adolescent mothers experience higher mortality rates.
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17% of births worldwide are still not attended by qualified health staff. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the percentage is 37%.
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Family planning increases female labour force participation, earnings and economic independence.
I am safe from gender-based violence
1 in 3 women experiences some form of violence in their lifetime (WHO).
More than 133 women or girls are killed by someone in their own family every day. In 2022, 40,98% of femicides worldwide were committed in Africa (UN Women).
In 45 countries, domestic violence is not legally prohibited (CFR).
Over 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation. More than 144 million of them took place in Africa (UNICEF).
I am safe from gender-based violence – why it matters
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has enormous costs not only on victims but on entire societies.
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The cost of gender-based violence, due to direct health, counselling, justice and welfare costs, as well as indirect costs, such as lost wages, productivity and potential, has been estimated by the U.N. to be US$ 1.5 trillion, roughly the size of the entire Australian economy in 2020.
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Beyond the physical and mental consequences of GBV, its negative impact on women’s participation in education, employment and civic life undermines poverty reduction and development.
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Mental health impacts for survivors of GBV include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance misuse, self-harm and suicidal behaviour, and sleep disturbances. In addition, a survivor of GBV may also face stigma and rejection from their community and family.
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Societies that normalize violence and oppression between men and women—the two halves of humanity - whether in households or communities— tend to experience more violence and conflict both within their borders and internationally.
Research shows that the security of women and the security of the nation-state are integrally linked.
I share unpaid care work equally with my partner and family
Globally women spend around 18% of their day doing unpaid care and domestic work. That is 12% more than men (UN Women).
On average, girls aged 5-14 spend 550 million hours on household chores, 160 million more than boys the same age (UNICEF).
Women in Asia and the Pacific do four times more unpaid care work than men, while South Asian women do nine times more (ILO).
I share unpaid care work equally with my partner and family – why it matters
The global value of unpaid work by women, taking 12.5 billion hours female work a day, was estimated to be >USD 10.8 trillion in 2019. There is not one country in the world, where data are available, where unpaid care work is shared equally between men and women.
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When women can share unpaid care work more equally, they have more time to invest in education or paid work, leading to better livelihoods for themselves and their families.
A decrease in women’s unpaid care work is related to a 10 percentage point increase in women’s labour force participation rate.
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Data reveals a negative correlation between income and levels of gender inequality in unpaid care work: countries with a more equal distribution of responsibilities tend to be higher-income.
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Countries where women perform a high share of unpaid care work compared to men have a higher share of women in part-time and vulnerable jobs. Unpaid care activities are a time and energy-consuming occupation that often relegates women to part-time, low-income and insecure employment.
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Worldwide, men still own 50% more wealth than women and predominate in positions of political and economic power. The unequal sharing of care responsibility is a key factor limiting women from fulfilling their potential.
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