20 years after Beijing Platform for Action; world remains gender biased

There are hundreds of women-rights campaigns, conferences and rallies everyday around the world. Even in India, post the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case, numerous measures have been taken to ensure the safety of women, but women seem to find no relief- neither in India, nor in any other part of  the world according to the United Nations.

Times of India reports that even after 15 years of constant efforts to promote gender equality and women empowerment, the world still faces great gender disparity. Figures state that in the majority of the 83 countries evaluated; women earn 10% to 30% less than men. According to the report, out of the evaluated 781 million adult,s 60% of who lack basic literacy skills are women.

India, shamefully, tops amongst the countries with extremely poor living conditions, followed closely by China and Bangladesh. Additionally, 1.2 billion people in developing countries around the world are living on less than $1.25 a day. In India the percentage of people living in such conditions is 32.8% - the worst in the world. The report also states that one in three women worldwide, has experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly at the hands of her partner.

Women and Poverty

Picture Courtesy:The Borgen Project

According to the United Nations provided a global overview in 'Women and Poverty,’ women in Africa face extremely harsh conditions. The figures reveal that women collectively spend an estimated 16 million hours fetching water in 25 sub-Saharan African countries. Technologically too, women are behind men. According to Times of India, the report states that two thirds of the world's population  does not having regular access to internet and in developing countries, women are 23% less likely than men to be online.

Despite constant efforts and claims by most countries to ensure that women are given equal rights and privileges, most nations have failed to achieve gender balance. This is an important year for these reviews as the Beijing Platform for Action aimed at achieving greater equality and opportunity for women turns 20 and United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG), whose third goal is to promote gender equality and empower women, completes its schedule this year.

ORIGINAL SOURCE:  Times of India

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