In the News
Empowering Women and Girls is Key to Address World’s Challenges
- 13 September 2011
NEW YORK — Empowering women and girls will have a profound impact on the survival and well-being of children, UNICEF said today, joining the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) global campaign to mark 7 billion people in the world.
The world’s population will reach a major milestone next month as it tops 7 billion. The UNFPA 7 Billion Actions initiative aims to build global awareness around the opportunities and challenges the world faces as it reaches this staggering number of people, most of whom live in the developing world and half of whom are women.
Today, many people live longer and healthier lives but, billions of others - especially women- struggle to combat poverty, inequality, lack of education and poor healthcare.
Despite progress, the lives of millions of girls and women are still overshadowed by discrimination and disempowerment. Girls and women are disproportionally affected by HIV and AIDS and women in most places earn less than men for equal work. Up to 70 per cent of women experience violence in their lifetime and more than half of the 67 million primary school age children out of school are girls.
Read the full story on the UNICEF website
