UN Report Reveals Long
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
UN Report Reveals Long-Term Bias Against Women
June 16, 2023A visitor chats with exhibitors at the 19th international women's fair in Algiers, Algeria, on March 7, 2023. [Xinhua] |
"Half of people worldwide still believe men make better political leaders than women, and more than 40 percent believe men make better business executives than women," according to a UN report.
UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Xinhua) — Almost nine out of 10 men and women worldwide still hold biases against women, according to a new UN report released on Monday.
"Half of people worldwide still believe men make better political leaders than women, and more than 40 percent believe men make better business executives than women," according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in its latest Gender Social Norms Index report.
"Social norms that impair women's rights are detrimental to society more broadly, dampening the expansion of human development," said Pedro Conceicao, head of UNDP's Human Development Report Office.
According to the World Values Survey, 25 percent of people believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife.
These biases are contributing to the dismantling of women's rights in many parts of the world, with movements against gender equality gaining traction and human rights violations spiking in some countries.
The underrepresentation of women in leadership is also a reflection of bias. On average, the share of women as heads of state or heads of government has remained around 10 percent since 1995 and in the labor market, women occupy less than a third of managerial positions.
Delegates attend the Tanzania Women and Technology Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, held ahead of International Women's Day on March 7, 2023. [Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua] |
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 percent in favor of men.
"Lack of progress on gender social norms is unfolding against a human development crisis," Conceicao said, noting that the global Human Development Index 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.
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."
People take part in a rally to mark the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Lima, capital of Peru, Nov. 25, 2014. [Xinhua/Luis Camacho] |
Data shows that despite the continued prevalence of bias against women, change is possible.
In 27 of the 38 countries surveyed, the share of people without bias increased. 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.
According to the report, combating online hate speech and gender disinformation can help shift pervasive gender norms towards greater acceptance.
Several recommendations were made in the report, including addressing social norms directly through education, recognizing women's rights in all spheres of life, and increasing participation in decision-making and politics.
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Related articles
French Olympic fencer Thibus says she has been cleared of any wrongdoing after abnormal doping test
PARIS (AP) — Ysaora Thibus, one of France’s leading fencers, says she will be able to compete at the2024-05-22Alleged Rushdie attacker, awaiting trial in New York, could still face federal charges, lawyer says
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The lawyer for the New Jersey man charged with stabbing author Salman Rushdie2024-05-22Hawaii officials outline efforts to prevent another devastating wildfire ahead of a dry season
HONOLULU (AP) — As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century2024-05-22Tesla’s Autopilot caused a fiery crash into a tree, killing a Colorado man, lawsuit says
DENVER (AP) — The widow of a man who died after his Tesla veered off the road and crashed into a tre2024-05-22Hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, are rescued from Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for2024-05-22The Flores agreement has protected migrant children for nearly 3 decades. Changes may be coming.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration is expected to try to partially end a 27-year-old agre2024-05-22
atest comment