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Toward an Equal Future: Making Gender Equality a Reality

Bridging Gender Gap Schoolgirls learn technical skills in a science class
Photo by ADB Photo Library

As well as going against our sense of fairness and justice, inequality brings with it significant social and economic costs. Since joining the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) a few weeks ago, I have been struck by how important it is to tackle inequality—particularly gender inequality— if we are to reach our shared goals of achieving sustained poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals.

As a father of two daughters and a son, I have a strong personal interest and commitment in ensuring they all have the best opportunities for a fulfilled and happy life, and grow up in a world that is a more prosperous, safe, and just place for its citizens.

We know that tackling inequalities is important for growth. Speaking at the launch of Growing Unequal?, Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said: “Growing inequality is divisive. It polarizes societies… and it carves up the world between rich and poor… Ignoring increasing inequality is not an option.” Countries where inequality is lower are able to translate growth into lifting people out of poverty more quickly than countries where inequality is high.

Tackling gender inequality is an essential part of this. The World Bank estimates that eliminating the wage and employment differences between men and women could lead to a 6% increase in gross domestic product. And not only women benefit from tackling gender inequality; it is widely recognized that women use additional income to feed, clothe, and educate their families.

The Asia and Pacific region is an important battleground in the global fight against gender inequality. The region has enjoyed a successful period of sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, and some countries have made significant progress in certain areas, such as increasing the number of girls in school.

But significant challenges remain. The region is still losing between $16 billion and $30 billion a year because of gender gaps in education. Another $42 billion–$47 billion per year is lost because of restrictions to women’s access to employment opportunities. Can Asia and the Pacific rise to the challenge of tackling gender inequality? That is the $77 billion question.

Gender discrimination is evident in low access of women to education, health care, and economic and political participation. In Pakistan and India, for example, girls between the ages of 1 and 5 are 30%–50% more likely to die than boys. An important factor that hinders overcoming these inequalities is women’s lack of voice in all aspects of decision making. And if we don’t act soon to address these severe disparities, we will threaten the future long-run growth of the region.

In DFID, we have recognized that we have not given gender issues the prominence that we should have, and that we need to do more. To help us do that, we have put in place a new Gender Equality Action Plan that seeks to ensure these issues are integrated in all aspects of our work from education to financial services, from HIV and AIDS to conflict resolution, and from maternal health to boosting the political participation of women. Our aim is to put issues of gender equality and women’s rights at the heart of our work.

We are working with civil society and governments in partner developing countries to increase the focus on these issues in their own poverty reduction strategies. The reason is that, in the end, only national governments, with civil society, can make the scale of the changes needed to lead to significant and lasting changes.

DFID is ready to assist with programs that countries want to implement. We are contributing £100 million ($160.2 million) over 5 years to Bangladesh’s £2.2 billion health program. In Pakistan, DFID committed £90 million over 5 years for a new National Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Program that will expand maternal and newborn care, and support family planning services. DFID is also involved in activities that promote the access to microfinance to entrepreneurial women in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Beyond our bilateral programs, DFID works closely with local and international organizations in the fight to promote gender equality.

DFID will seek to improve the way in which it helps developing countries achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. This has to be a joint effort between donors, multilateral agencies, and developing countries themselves. And we must move quickly: without improving the poor economic, social, and political situation of women and girls in many countries, we cannot hope to reach our development goals. •