A MARCH FORWARD TO GENDER EQUALITY, FOR EVERYONE

Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem

Investments in the health and rights of women and girls have changed the world, bringing us closer to equal voices and expanded choices than ever before. Women have taken giant strides forward – and are not going back.

The march forward for equal rights is unstoppable. It will continue until gender equality reaches all women and girls, everywhere.

Commitments made to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women ignited 30 years of progress – particularly on sexual and reproductive health. Activists and allies in every part of the world have mobilized to make motherhood safer and empower women with more choices about their fertility. Their advocacy has led an overwhelming majority of countries to pass laws against domestic violence. 

These and other gains are historic achievements that have transformed women’s lives. Every aspect of women’s empowerment, from education to workforce participation to political leadership, depends on the foundation of well-being and autonomy provided by sexual and reproductive health. And when women and girls thrive, so do their families, communities and our world.

Gender equality drives safer, more prosperous societies, yet no country has achieved it fully. Millions of women and girls remain disadvantaged, with a girl married every three seconds. Despite proven benefits, investment falls short, missing trillions in economic gains and vital social progress. Urgent action is needed. Unjust laws and regulations still constrain rights, and healthcare services fail to match needs. Every 10 minutes a woman or girl dies at the hands of an intimate partner or family member. That single statistic tells us everything about how little progress has been made in stopping violence driven by misogyny and discrimination, and what society chooses to prioritize.

In Ghana, UNFPA is working with partners across the country to end gender-based violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation. The Demographic and Health Survey Report (DHS Report 2022) found that 33% of women in Ghana aged between 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 61% of women who have ever had a husband or intimate partner reported experiencing at least one specific type of controlling behaviour from their current or most recent partner. Additionally, 36% of these women reported experiencing emotional, physical, or sexual violence from their current or most recent partner, with 28% experiencing such violence in the past year. Despite the existence of several laws prohibiting FGM/C, the practice persisted as a serious concern for girls under the age of 18 in certain regions. According to the 2017-2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), women residing in rural areas were subjected to FGM at a rate three times higher than those in urban areas (3.6% compared to 1.2 percent). Particularly alarming was the significantly higher prevalence of FGM/C in the Upper East Region.  A baseline survey by University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2023 revealed that 5 per 100 population of female aged 15 – 49 years had undergone FGM in the Kasena-Nankena West and Wa East Districts. 

Thanks to the conducive laws, policies, and reforms in the area of gender equality and women empowerment, including the Affirmative Action Law (gender equity law), Gender Policy, GBV Act and its regulation, etc. Other initiatives such as free SHS, and girls in STEM, are all opening opportunities for empowerment and continue to improve the situation for women and girls. The DVS is addressing issues of GBV in close working relations with DOVVSU, the judiciary and police system and social and health workers. Traditional leaders are taking the fight against child marriage by declaring abandonment of the practice in their traditional areas and engaging in active mobilization and monitoring of progress against child marriage. 

A campaign jointly launched by UNFPA with GPRTU and MTN, called the 16 Routes: 16 Stations, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continues to increase public awareness against GBV. Engaging transport unions across all 16 regions, the initiative mobilized the transport sector to combat GBV, promote safer public spaces, and uphold the dignity of women and girls. The Orange Support Centre (toll free 0800111222) provides online counseling support and referral to needed medical, protection and legal services for survivors of GBV.

UNFPA is committed to working with partners to uphold women’s rights. Every person should have the power to decide when to have children, no woman should lose her life while giving birth, and gender equality must shape a better future for us all. Let’s all take action to be part of the change. A future where all women and girls enjoy their rights, live in equality, and are fully empowered is within reach.