Climate change is accelerating persistent poverty disparities. As competition for scarce resources intensifies, livelihoods are threatened, society becomes increasingly polarized, and the burden on women becomes heavier.
- One in ten women worldwide lives in extreme poverty.
- The number of women and girls living in conflict-affected areas has doubled since 2017, with more than 614 million women and girls now living in conflict-affected areas. In conflict zones, women are 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty.
- Climate change is expected to cause an additional 236 million women and girls to go hungry by 2030, twice as many as men (131 million).
- Only 61 percent of women are in the labor force at their prime age, compared to 90 percent of men.
We cannot continue to miss out on the benefits of gender equality. More than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments prioritized education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and expanded social security.
Almost 300 million jobs could be created by 2035 through investment in long-term care services such as day care and elder care. Additionally, closing the gender employment gap could boost gross domestic product per capita by 20% in all regions.
The current reality is far from this. Gender equality-specific programs account for only 4% of official development assistance. An additional US$360 billion per year is needed in developing countries to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. This is less than one-fifth of the $2.2 trillion that will be spent on military spending worldwide in 2022, for example.
The areas where investment is needed are clear and understood. First and foremost, we need to invest in peace. In addition to this, the required investments include: Laws and policies that promote the rights of women and girls. Changes in social norms that act as barriers to gender equality. Guarantee women's access to land, property, health care, education, and decent work. Fund women's group networks at all levels.
UN Women is also calling on Member States to back up their commitments on gender equality with resources at the Commission on the Status of Women, which begins in New York on 11 March 2024. World leaders have this opportunity to develop concrete and progressive agreed conclusions that reflect the critical need for gender equality, women's empowerment and funding for women's organizations. They must seize it for equality, our planet, and the Sustainable Development Goals.