Gender equality is a fundamental human right and essential for a peaceful and sustainable world. While some progress has been made, the world is far from achieving gender equality by 2030. Women and girls, who make up half of the global population and its potential, still face pervasive inequality, which impedes social progress.
Globally, women earn an average of 23% less than men in the labor market and perform about three times more unpaid domestic and caregiving work. Challenges such as sexual violence, exploitation, discrimination in leadership roles, and unequal care responsibilities persist. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened these issues, with increased reports of sexual violence, added caregiving burdens due to school closures, and women comprising 70% of the health and social workforce.
At the current pace, it could take centuries to address some issues—300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to eliminate discriminatory laws, and 140 years for equal workplace representation in leadership. Achieving gender equality requires strong political leadership, investment, and policy reforms to remove systemic barriers. Goal 5 must be central to national policies and budgets to ensure meaningful progress.
Source: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/