Women
Half the world is women – and half the world is under 25 years of age. Women are particularly vulnerable in times of global crises. In many developing countries, primary, secondary and tertiary education for girls remains a challenge. There is no gender equality yet in matters of access to education, professional opportunities, pay and public representation.
Women remain underrepresented in top positions. In some countries of the world not a single woman is sitting in the National Assembly. All around the world, in every country, women and girls still struggle to exercise their full human rights, even to be seen as full human beings. Violence against women and girls is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of the deep imbalances in power in our societies, and the vulnerabilities and limitations that follow them, especially for the most marginalised, and especially in crisis contexts, when vulnerabilities are at their peak and protections at their lowest point. Defending women and girls’ rights means understanding and addressing these effects holistically. Inadequate facilities at schools force millions of girls around the world to miss class during menstruation. It’s estimated that more than half of schools in low-income countries lack sufficient toilets for girls or are unsafe and unclean.
Worldwide, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence—most often by an intimate partner. Nearly 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday, and over 200 million have suffered female genital mutilation. More than 70 per cent of all trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 trafficked women and girls are sexually exploited. This must end. Access to quality education and skills training has never been so important to ensuring a future of dignity for all women around the world.
Youths:
Awarding football kits to Green park Youth F.C . A young youth football team from the informal settlements of Mathare that is truly inspiring. MindMe international being an SDGs advocate seeing this young person daring to dream is such an inspiration. Picture courtesy: Mindmeinternational
The Widow Campaign
