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The facts about gender equalitys impact - The Daily Graphic, Accra ,2007 by Rebecca Quaicoe Duho
GENDER EQUALITY TIES WITH CHILDRENS WELFARE FOR children, the most important actors in the world are not political leaders and heads of development agencies, but parents and caregivers who make crucial household decisions that affect their daily lives, According to the State of the World's Children 2007 Report, "evidence suggests that men and women frequently, have very different roles and priorities when it comes to household decision-making. Women generally place higher premium on welfare-related goals and are more likely to use their influence and the resources they control to promote the needs of families, particularly children". It is therefore a proven fact that when women are comfortable socially and economically, the well-being of their children is enhanced. In the report, the immediate past Secretary-General of the UNITED NATIONS, Mr. Kofi Annan, said "eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women are among the paramount challenges facing the world today. When women are healthy, educated and free(!) to take the opportunities life affords them, children thrive and countries flourish, reaping a double dividend for women and children". He said "in the 27 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, much has been done to advance the progress of women. But we have fallen short of what we need to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)." He added that until there is gender equality, there can be no sustainable development and that it was impossible to realise our goals while discriminating against half the human race. Mr. Annan also said "as study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality. No other policy is sure to improve nutrition and promote health, including the prevention of of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as powerful in increasing chances of education for the next generation. That is why discrimination against women of all ages deprives the world's children - all of them, not jus the half who are girls - of the chance to reach their potential." It was for this reason that this year's report was launched in Accra on the theme: "Women and children - The double dividend of gender equality", since years of study and research have shown that gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. It is a proven fact that when women are empowered to live full and productive lives, children prosper and a research by UNICEF has shown that "when women are denied equal opportunity within a society, children suffer". Therefore, any country which is able to achieve the MDGs, goal three, which aims at promoting gender equality and empowering women - will reap the double dividend of bettering the lives of both women and children. Achieving goal three will contribute to achieving all the other goals, from reducing poverty and hunger to saving children's lives, improving maternal health, ensuring universal education, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing new innovative partnerships for development. According to the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms Ann M. Veneman, "despite the international community's commitment to gender equality, the lives of millions of women and girls throughout the world are plagued by discrimination, disempowerment and poverty. Throughout the world, especially the developing world, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the AIDS pandemic, many girls are forced into child marriages as early as age 15 and maternal mortality figures remain indefensibly high in many countries. In most places women earn less than men for equal work and around the world, millions of women and girls suffer from physical and sexual violence, with little recourse to justice and protection. Ms Veneman said declarations, conventions and goals were not enough, adding that it was imperative that "we move resolutely from the realm of words to the realm of concrete action." According to the report, the amount of influence women have over the decisions in the household has been shown to positively impact on nutrition, health care and education of their children. It said the benefits of gender equality go beyond their direct impact on children. Without it, it will be impossible to create a world of equality, tolerance and shared responsiblity - a world that is fit for children. The report said eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women will influence in the key decisions that shape their lives and those of children in three distinct arenas, that is the household, the workplace and the political sphere. In the household, the consequences of women's exclusion from household decisions can be dire for children as they are for women themselves. If men and women have equal influence in decision-making, the incidence of underweight children, malnutrition and infant/child mortality will be curtailed. Also, paid employment for women, according to the report, does not automatically lead to better outcomes for children. Factors such as the amount of time women spend outside the household, the conditions under which they are employed and who controls the income they generate, determine how the work undertaken by women in the labour market affects their own well-being and that of children. In the political arena, a growing body of evidence suggests that women in politics have been effective advocates for children at all levels, sponsoring legislation and fostering tangible changes in policy outcomes that reflect the rights, priorities, experiences and contributions of women, children and families. The report then stated that eliminating gender discrimination will produce a double dividend, fulfilling the rights of women and going a long way towards realising those of children as well. It said effective partnerships involving governments, donors and international agencies, can support this process through the design and implementation of human rights-based development strategies. For women, men and children, the time to refocus our efforts is now, the report stated.
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