Breathe
By Gabriela Sotomayor
Gender inequality is the greatest challenge of our time. And gender equality, the greatest opportunity. The gap between the two sexes is still very large, deep and painful. As my dear friend, professor and former Federal Electoral Councilor, Alejandra Latapí, says: "Do not congratulate us".
March 8, International Women's Day, coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and provided an occasion not to be missed to remind leaders and activists that our common future depends on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
In this regard, we all have a role to play in promoting gender equality and women's rights.
Although governments are primarily responsible for fulfilling the commitments set out in the Platform, we must all work together to defend equal rights, power and opportunities. As UN Women rightly says: "Let us hope that history will remember 2025 as the year when the world refused to give up this fight". I doubt it.
What can governments do?
On this long-standing issue of discrimination, the UN has once again called on governments around the world to act firmly and decisively on behalf of all women and girls. Closing the global gender gap by 2030 will require an annual investment of some $360 billion, but "the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of inaction. the cost of inaction is higher".
There are at least six actions that could make a real and concrete difference that place the leadership of young women and teenagers at the heart of all initiatives. In this column I will focus on what governments can do and for the next installment I will address what we can do at the individual level.
1. For all women and girls: a digital revolution
Closing the gender digital divide could save $500 billion over the next five years. Technology must be a driver of equality, not exclusion. The Global Digital Compact must be supported and policies put in place to bridge the gender digital divide, and ensure equal access to technology and leadership for all women and girls in this area.
2. For all women and girls: ending poverty.
Nearly one in ten women live in extreme poverty. Public services and social protection expand women's economic opportunities and security." Women also perform at least twice as much unpaid care work" than men. Care is the cornerstone of any society; a task that is often unpaid or underpaid. But it doesn't have to be that way. Closing the gaps in care could create 300 million jobs by 2035.. Part of national budgets must be invested in strengthening social protection and public services (particularly care services) in order to combat poverty and give women an equal chance to thrive.
3. For all women and girls: zero tolerance for violence.
"One in three women will experience some form of violence in her lifetime," according to UN estimates. While numerous laws exist globally, they are often poorly implemented and there is a lack of investment in prevention strategies. National laws and policies that make it clear that violence against women will never go unpunished must be adopted, implemented and funded, and local women's organizations must be supported.
4. For all women and girls: full and equal decision-making power.
Around the world, decisions affecting women's lives are still overwhelmingly made by men. "This is not only unfair, but also inefficient," says the UN. Laws and policies, as well as temporary special measures, are needed to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in politics, business and institutions.
