Gender Equality

Statistics show a strong link between the lack of women's rights and poverty. In societies without gender equality, women are denied access to education, legal representation, and political voice, making it much harder for them to contribute to social progress. For example, where women are prevented from holding jobs or pursuing careers, half of the population is unproductive, and this is a major inhibitor of a country's development and economic efficiency.¹

Furthermore, lack of concern for women can lead to major social problems. For example, illiterate and poorly educated mothers have a hard time providing high quality child care because they lack knowledge about proper health care and nutrition. As a result, their children have higher mortality and malnutrition rates. This, too, leads to slow economic growth.

Many development programs therefore focus on gender specifically, with the goal of fostering general social cohesion and economic progress by attending to women's issues. For example, "microbanks" have been created to lend small amounts of money—sometime only a few dollars—to women to help them start businesses based on their skills, such as sewing. Even a few dollars can help a woman buy a new or larger sewing machine that can help her produce fabric not just for her family but also to sell on the market.

For more on gender equality and women's rights, refer to the Human Rights issue brief (Women's Rights).