UN WOMEN

Why in News?
UN Women recently marked 15 years since its establishment.

About UN Women:

• UN Women, founded by the UN General Assembly in July 2010, serves as the UN’s principal body for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• As part of the UN reform agenda, UN Women was created through the merger of four existing entities:

1. Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
2. International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)
3. Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)
4. United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

• Core Mission of UN Women:

1. Governance & Leadership: Promote equal participation of women in decision-making at all levels.
2. Economic Empowerment: Advocate for equal pay, decent work conditions, and financial autonomy for women.
3. Ending Violence Against Women: Work towards the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence.
4. Peace & Humanitarian Action: Strengthen women’s involvement in peace processes, conflict resolution, and humanitarian response.

Key Issues Faced by Women (as per UN Women):

• Political Backlash & Declining Rights:
  In 2024, about 1 in 4 countries experienced backlash against women’s rights, reflecting a regressive trend in gender equality efforts.

• Legal Inequality:
  Globally, women enjoy only 64% of the legal rights that men have, with 51% of countries placing restrictions on women working in the same jobs as men.
• Underrepresentation in Governance:
  Women constitute only 25% of lawmakers worldwide, highlighting persistent gender gaps in political decision-making.
• Negligible Funding for Gender Equality:
  Just 4% of official development assistance (ODA) during 2021–2022 was allocated specifically to advancing gender equality.

• Gender-Based Violence:
  In 2023, 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed — approximately one every 10 minutes, often by an intimate partner or close relative.
  
  
• Exclusion from Peace Processes:
  Between 2020 and 2023, 80% of peace talks and 70% of mediation efforts excluded women, underscoring their continued marginalization in conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives.
  
  
• Economic Inequality:
  • Gender Pay Gap:
    Women earn 20% less than men globally for work of equal value.
  • Unpaid Care Work:
    Women perform 5 times more unpaid care and domestic work than men, limiting their economic opportunities and financial independence.
    
    
• Poor Health Access:
  Nearly 800 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, reflecting gaps in access to quality maternal healthcare and reproductive services.

UN Women’s Key Solutions:

• Promote Gender-Inclusive Peacebuilding:
  UN Women advocates increased investment in conflict prevention, enhanced participation of women in peace processes, and better access to reproductive healthcare in conflict-affected areas.
  
  
• Strengthen Leadership & Political Will:
  UN Women calls for stronger political commitment, gender-responsive governance, removal of discriminatory laws, and greater inclusion of women in leadership especially in areas like climate action.
  
  
• Advance Economic Empowerment:
  UN Women promotes equal pay, stronger anti-discrimination laws, and investment in care infrastructure to reduce unpaid care work and create up to 300 million jobs by 2035.
  
  
• Enhance Access to Education & Technology:
  UN Women suggests reducing education costs, providing cash incentives, ensuring safe and inclusive learning spaces, improving digital access and online safety, and boosting public-private funding for gender equality.

UPSC CSE Mains:

Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can the care economy be brought into a monetized economy through women empowerment? (2023)

 “Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss. (2019)