Gender equality and women’s empowerment are fundamental to sustainable development.
Gender equality underpins the prosperity and well-being of economies and societies. Half of the world’s available human capital has a significant influence on the equitable growth, competitiveness and future readiness of economies and businesses.
Globally, in 2020, women held only 25.2% of parliamentary seats and only 21.2% of ministerial positions. At this rate, it will take another century to close the gender gap in political representation.
Over the past decades, progress has been made globally in closing gender gaps in educational attainment and health. On average, women have gained in life expectancy. But the economic gender gap has widened. In a rapidly changing world of work, women’s labor force participation is stagnating and income disparities are widening due to women’s underrepresentation in professions and opportunities in lucrative growth sectors and positions. better paid, a trend that has led to income gaps.
UNDP, as one of the leading development entities within the United Nations, and RCC, as an inclusive regional body in Southeast Europe, offer this document to promote women’s economic empowerment. Both organizations are committed to advancing gender equality, in line with their respective mandates, as a cornerstone of sustainable development, and both have a strong presence and partners in the Western Balkans.