Geneva

A new UN report reveals no improvement in the level of prejudice shown against women over the past decade, with almost nine out of 10 men and women worldwide, still holding such biases.

“Half of people worldwide still believe men make better political leaders than women, and more than 40 per cent believe men make better business executives than women,” according to the UN Development Program (UNDP) in its latest Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) report.

“Social norms that impair women’s rights are detrimental to society more broadly, dampening the expansion of human development,” said Pedro Conceição, head of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office.

The more things change

A staggering 25 per cent of people believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife, according to the report, reflecting the latest data from the World Values Survey.

The report argues that these biases drive hurdles faced by women, manifested in a dismantling of women’s rights in many parts of the world with movements against gender equality gaining traction and, in some countries, a surge of human rights violations.

Biases are also reflected in the severe underrepresentation of women in leadership. On average, the share of women as heads of State or heads of government has remained around 10 per cent since 1995 and in the labor market women occupy less than a third of managerial positions.

Broken links in progress

The report also sheds light on a broken link between women’s progress in education and economic empowerment. Women are more skilled and educated than ever before, yet even in the 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, the average gender income gap remains a 39 per cent in favor of men.

“Lack of progress on gender social norms is unfolding against a human development crisis,” Mr. Conceição said, noting that the global Human Development Index (HDI) declined in 2020 for the first time on record and again the following year.

“Everyone stands to gain from ensuring freedom and agency for women,” he added.

Governments’ crucial role

The UNDP report emphasized that governments have a crucial role in shifting gender social norms, from adopting parental leave policies that have changed perceptions around care work responsibilities, to labor market reforms that have led to a change in beliefs around women in the workforce.

“An important place to start is recognizing the economic value of unpaid care work,” said Raquel Lagunas, Director of UNDP’s gender team.

“This can be a very effective way of challenging gender norms around how care work is viewed. In countries with the highest levels of gender biases against women, it is estimated that women spend over six times as much time as men on unpaid care work.”

Change can happen

The report emphasized that despite the continued prevalence of bias against women, the data shows change can happen.

An increase in the share of people with no bias in any indicator was evident in 27 of the 38 countries surveyed. The report authors said that to drive change towards greater gender equality, the focus needs to be on expanding human development through investment, insurance, and innovation.

This includes investing in laws and policy measures that promote women’s equality in political participation, scaling up insurance mechanisms, such as strengthening social protection and care systems, and encouraging innovative interventions that could be particularly effective in challenging harmful social norms, patriarchal attitudes, and gender stereotypes.

For example, combatting online hate speech and gender disinformation can help to shift pervasive gender norms towards greater acceptance and equality, according to the report.

The report recommended directly addressing social norms through education to change people’s views, policies and legal changes that recognize the rights of women in all spheres of life, and more representation in decision-making and political processes.

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Courtesy: UN News (Posted on June 12, 2023)

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Monitoring Desk

Geneva

Cities have an in-built bias against women, who overwhelmingly describe them as unsafe and unwelcoming. A UN report released on Monday, calls for a complete overhaul of city design, and for women to be more closely involved in urban planning.

Even though they make up half the population, women and girls get a raw deal when it comes to city design: in surveys, around 97 per cent of women in the UK aged 18-24, have complained of sexual harassment in public spaces, whilst in Ireland more than half of women surveyed say they feel unsafe on public transport after dark.

Other issues include a lack of suitable public facilities. For example, one third of women globally say that they don’t have access to adequate toilets.

The publication, “Designing Cities that work for Women”, focuses on four themes: safety and security, justice and equity, health and wellbeing and enrichment and fulfilment.

A lack of representation

A wide range of city design aspects are covered, from street lighting through to statues. Only around three per cent of monuments celebrating heroes of the past and present, depict women.

Women’s needs and aspirations are examined, from safety, to gender-based discrimination, and a lack of access to quality education and employment opportunities.

The study shows that women are not well represented in key decisions that affect the future environment for all: they only run around one in seven environment ministries, and face barriers in crucial areas such as city planning, construction, and leadership positions.

“Achieving gender equity is integral to each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” declared UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “When cities are largely designed without considering the diverse needs and insights of women of all ages and identities, this can have an adverse impact not only on their lives, but on their families.”

Women-friendly solutions

The report, which was developed by global design and engineering company Arup, the University of Liverpool, and the UN Development Program (UNDP), draws on the voices and experiences of women around the world, as well as a thorough review of data and research.

There is a strong focus on solutions for decision-makers, and finding ways to actively involve women at every stage of city design and planning, to ensure that cities work better for them, and are more resilient and inclusive.

Concrete recommendations include forming city-wide gender equality taskforces, education and development programs, and creating design action plans.

Cooperation between city authorities and other stakeholders, such as businesses and civil society groups, is also cited as an important element in creating safer, equitable spaces for women and girls.

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Courtesy: UN News

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