Governments are failing to invest in women and girls and are therefore missing out on billions in potential economic gains, a UN report says.
This year’s Gender Snapshot report by UN Women found that the global cost of young women’s lack of adequate education is $10bn (£7.6bn) annually.
Low- and middle-income countries stand to lose $500 billion over the next five years if they don’t close the gender gap in Internet use, and improving farm support could add $1 billion to global GDP.
Billions of dollars lost due to carelessness
It also found that at current rates, child marriage could continue until 2092.
Papa Seck, head of research and data at UN Women, said: “The cost of not doing so is far too great, but at the same time, the potential benefits of doing so are also too great for societies to ignore.”
Over 100 years needed to end poverty for women
The annual report, which assesses progress on gender equality under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also found that 47.8 million more women than men experience moderate or severe food insecurity.
It could also take another 137 years to end extreme poverty for women.
The same report shows that climate change could force 158 million more women and girls into poverty than men and boys, according to .
Governments need to “start investing hard money in women and girls”, Seck said, and make “non-negotiable” changes in legislation to better protect them.
According to the report, no country has all the laws necessary to prohibit discrimination, prevent gender-based violence, uphold equal rights, guarantee equal pay and provide full access to sexual and reproductive health.
