Gender

Humanity will not be truly civilised until women and men enjoy equal rights and equal economic opportunity. Some countries are approaching this goal, but none has attained it and in many countries women and girls are severely disadvantaged.

Women generally earn less than men and enjoy less job security. Much of the work that women do, including child rearing and agricultural labour, goes unpaid although it is essential to the global economy.

An estimated one-third of all women suffer some kind of physical or sexual abuse, and in many countries injustices against women are entrenched in law. But men are the primary victims of non-domestic violence and are more than three times as likely to commit suicide.

The UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) include promoting gender equality, empowering women and improving maternal health. These goals are crucial prerequisites for eradicating extreme poverty. More girls are now attending school, the literacy gap has narrowed and women’s representation in parliaments is increasing. But much remains to be done if the MDGs are to be achieved.

See also our Wealth and Poverty section, particularly Education and Employment.

Women, employment and poverty

“The further down the chain of quality and security, the more women you find. Yet it is their work – including their unpaid work in the household as well as their poorly paid work in insecure jobs or small enterprises – that holds families and communities together.” *

For an overview of the economic and employment status of women and strategies for change, download the UN report Progress of the World’s Women 2005: Women, work and poverty.

The UN’s Beijing + 10 conference in 2005 marked the tenth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, which was adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women.

Gender discrimination and developments

“Gender discrimination affects every aspect of women's lives, including the way their needs and rights are addressed in the development process...Much development work is done without taking gender inequality into account, so that women and children - for whom they are most often responsible - often lose out.” *

Read more about the link between gender discrimination and development. www.oxfam.org.au/world/gender

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is the first international treaty to address fundamental rights for women in education, employment and a wide range of other areas.

Gender discrimination is still entrenched in law in many countries. See the report Words and Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing + 10 Review Process, prepared by Equality Now.

Violence against women

Women and girls are subject to violence in a variety of ways including physical, sexual and psychological abuse, genital mutilation and sexual slavery.

Amnesty International campaigns to end all forms of violence against women.

The Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch campaigns against the dehumanisation and marginalisation of women.

Gay, lesbian and transgender rights

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people continue to suffer discrimination throughout much of the world.

For information and links see the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

Men’s and women’s issues in Australia

Gender-related issues in Australia include parenting rights, health, suicide, domestic violence, sexual harassment and gender equity in the workplace.

For information and links about men’s issues in Australia see the Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre and Dads on the Air.

For information and links about women’s issues in Australia see Australian Women’s Intra Network.

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