There is still a long way to go before full equality is achieved worldwide. The UN report from 2022, which deals with the sustainability goals, states that the world is not on track to achieve equality by 2030, and that the situation looks darker as a result of the social and economic effects of the corona pandemic. But if we look more closely at the numbers, several long-term trends and recent legislation are signs that we are moving in the right direction. 1. The global proportion of women in national parliaments has increased In 1995, 11 per cent of the seats in national parliaments worldwide were allocated to women. The good news is that the proportion has reached 26.2 per cent in 2022. According to UN Women, several countries have introduced gender quotas, either for elected candidates or through reserved seats, which opens up the possibility for women to participate. A pioneering country is Rwanda, which in 2008 became the first country with a preponderance of women in the national assembly with a whopping 64 per cent. The organizations UN Women and Women Deliver point out that more women in politics ensure that problems related to equality are addressed, such as gender-based violence, maternity leave, childcare, pensions, equality laws and electoral reforms. Women also show leadership by working across political divides and alliances, and are more likely to prioritize policies that improve quality of life, family life, sustainability and minority rights. 2. There are more female heads of state in the world The number of countries where the highest de facto executive authority is a woman has increased in the last 15 years. From 1990 to 2008, the number was no higher than 8, while in 2022 17 countries had a woman in the position. According to the UN, 30 women are heads of state, or heads of state, that is, have a formal power such as a queen, spread over 28 countries. A study in 2020 suggested that countries with a female leader handled the Covid-19 pandemic better, then in its initial phase. The study compared countries with approximately the same population size, where one country had a female leader and the other a male one, and found that the number of Covid-19-related deaths was considerably lower in the countries with a female leader. Among other things, the study points out that female managers reacted more quickly and introduced shutdowns and other austerity measures earlier. 3. More girls and women are getting an education In 1997, 77 per cent of girls in the world completed primary school. In 2020, the proportion had risen to 90 per cent, according to figures from the World Bank. And when it comes to higher education, women have overtaken men. According to a report by UNESCO-IESALC and Times Higher Education, which surveyed 776 universities globally, 54 percent of students who completed a degree in 2019 were women. Danske Verdens Beste Nyheder wrote in 2021 about the positive effects of education for women. Every year a girl goes to school gives her an average of 10-12 per cent more pay in working life. In addition, primary education for all girls can also increase a country’s GDP by up to 10 per cent, as they receive higher wages which they can use to buy goods and services. Admittedly, there is still a long way to go before the goal of all children going to school is reached. According to UNICEF, 129 million girls are out of school. Poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence are examples of factors that prevent girls and women from getting an education. At the same time, going to school and completing education lifts girls and women out of poverty, leads to better health and fewer pregnancies, and increases future opportunities as well as participation in social life. 4. The number of child marriages has decreased The practice of child marriage has seen a decline around the world. During the previous decade, the proportion of young women who were married as children fell from 25 per cent to 21 per cent. In South Asia, the number of child marriages has halved in the last 25 years. The fact that fewer people marry when they are under 18 means that more girls get the opportunity to go to school and complete their education. It also means fewer early pregnancies, which in turn gives increased security and independence. Child marriage is often an expression of a bias between the sexes and countries in the world. Girls in low-income countries are especially vulnerable. However, global efforts make a positive contribution. In 2016, the “Global Program to End Child Marriage” was launched by UNICEF in collaboration with UNFPA. The program has since then reached more than 14 million teenage girls with training, sex education and help with schooling. At the same time, the corona pandemic has led to more girls being married off. This means that extra efforts must be put in to achieve the goal of ending child marriage by 2030. – In the first six months of the corona crisis alone, we estimate that half a million girls were forced into marriage. In poor countries where they do not have welfare schemes, families have had to find other ways to survive, says international manager of Save the Children Nora Ingdal. 5. Better access to contraception and knowledge about family planning Among the sub-goals under sustainability goal five, “Equality between the sexes”, is universal access to reproductive rights and health. Reproductive rights include health services during pregnancy, safe childbirth, access to contraception and the possibility of legal and safe abortion. Efforts have been made over the past ten years to make family planning easier. In 2012, the UN initiative Family Planning 2020 was created, with the aim of increasing the number of users of modern contraception across 69 focus countries. A report from the project shows that the number of women who used contraception from the 69 countries rose to 320 million in 2020, from 260 million in 2012. And the progress was particularly great in Africa. From 2012 to 2020, the number of users of modern contraception on the continent rose by 66 percent, from 40 million to more than 66 million girls and women. That more people use modern contraceptives leads to safer conditions and strengthens women’s rights. Family Planning 2020 found that in the period July 2019 to July 2020, use of modern contraception resulted in 121 million fewer unwanted pregnancies, 21 million fewer unsafe abortions, and 125,000 fewer maternal deaths. Although there is still some way to go before the milestone is achieved, the UN initiative has created momentum and shown concrete good results. 6. Paid sick leave for menstrual pain and the fight against “period poverty” Spain is the first country in Europe to offer paid sick leave to women who experience severe menstrual pain. Women in Spain are now entitled to three days of sick leave per month, which can be extended to five. This provision is part of a larger law, which also includes free access to sanitary products at school and in prisons, as well as facilitating abortions in public hospitals. In February 2020, the Parliament of Scotland passed a law providing free pads and tampons to those who need them, on a national level. Other countries, including New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa and Botswana offer free sanitary products in schools. This shows that so-called “period poverty”, when those with a low income cannot afford or have access to suitable sanitary products, is a problem that is being recognized to a greater extent. A lack of sanitary products affects girls and women disproportionately, and is one of the factors that can prevent girls from going to school. Green Party politician Ulrikke Torgersen believes that free menstrual products are good feminism. – That those who have a uterus should pay to bleed is fundamentally unfair. Free menstrual products will provide more worthwhile experiences, at school and other public arenas.
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The work for an equal world continues: Here are six advances
