The UN has said it will take 300 years to achieve full gender equality, if the current rate of progress continues.
Gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This was disclosed by the Executive Director at UN Women, Sima Bahous, while addressing correspondents on the “Gender Snapshot 2022” report at UN Headquarters in New York.
The UN published a study on Wednesday that showcased how cooperation, partnerships and investments were essential to put the world back on track.
The report was published by the UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
The study reveals how gender disparities are worsening in the face of “cascading” global crises – such as the COVID-19 pandemic, violent conflict, and climate change – coupled with the backlash against women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.
As a result, countries will not meet SDG5 by the 2030 deadline.
“This is a tipping point for women’s rights and gender equality as we approach the half-way mark to 2030.
“It is critical that we rally now to invest in women and girls to reclaim and accelerate progress,’’ Bahous said.
The data showed undeniable regressions in their lives, made worse by the global crises – in incomes, safety, education and health. The longer we take to reverse this trend, the more it will cost us all.”
Without swift action, legal systems that do not ban violence against women, or protect their rights in marriage and family, may continue to exist for generations to come.
The report warns that at the current rate of progress, it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws.
Furthermore, it will take 140 years for women to achieve equal representation in leadership positions in the workplace and 40 years for the same to happen in national parliaments.
