Latest news with #SustainableDevelopmentGoal5
Kuwait Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait highlights women's rights gains 20 years after suffrage
UN lauds Kuwait's progress, urges further empowerment KUWAIT: Women across Kuwait marked twenty years since they secured full political rights on Thursday. Speaking at an event held the same day, Minister of Social Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah recognized the milestone, highlighting the influence of Kuwaiti women across various fields. 'Kuwaiti women have proven themselves as vital pillars of national development, achieving success that has placed them at the forefront of progress and contribution,' she said during a forum titled 'Strategies to Support Kuwaiti Women in Line with Sustainable Development Goal 5,' held in collaboration with the UN office in Kuwait on Thursday. Today, Kuwaiti women make up 60 percent of the public sector workforce, 48 percent in the private sector, and 28 percent of leadership roles in state institutions, Al-Huwailah noted. In traditionally male-dominated sectors, they're also making strides—54 percent of employees at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation are women, and 41 percent of leadership roles at the Central Bank of Kuwait are held by women. These gains haven't gone unnoticed. Kuwait's global ranking on the Women, Peace, and Security Index has risen to 62nd, and the gender gap has narrowed by ten points. Kuwait also became the first Gulf country to adopt the Women's Empowerment Principles in 2023, setting a new benchmark for the region. Laws amendments But progress isn't just about numbers. Al-Huwailah pointed to recent key legislative reforms that dismantled systemic injustice, including the recent repeal of Articles 153 and 182 of the Kuwaiti Penal Code. Article 153 had effectively legalized honor killings, allowing men to receive minimal sentences for murdering female relatives under the guise of 'protecting family honor.' Article 182 had let kidnappers, rapists included, walk free if they married their victims. The abolition of these laws was a turning point, aligning Kuwait's legal framework with constitutional guarantees of justice, equality and human dignity. Ghada Al-Taher, UN Resident Coordinator and Representative of the Secretary-General, emphasized that Kuwait's progress is being recognized internationally. During the 2025 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Human Rights Council commended the country for policies aimed at protecting women from violence, promoting economic independence, and expanding women's decision-making power. Education has become a powerful lever for transformation in Kuwait. According to UNESCO's 2024 data, Kuwait has nearly eradicated female illiteracy, with more women enrolling in STEM fields than ever before—positions that are vital to building a knowledge-driven economy. Women leaders In business, Kuwaiti women are reshaping the narrative. With state-backed initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs, more women now lead successful ventures. Some have gained international recognition, including Dr Faiza Al-Kharafi, the first woman to lead a university in the Middle East, and Sara Akbar, who was instrumental in extinguishing Kuwait's oil well fires after liberation. Both have been named among Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, alongside others who continue to break ground in business, science, and public service. She also highlighted ongoing efforts to empower women with disabilities, with the Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities pushing initiatives to integrate this group into the workforce and provide access to specialized support. Despite these gains, Al-Taher acknowledged that deep-rooted challenges remain. 'We can't ignore the societal barriers that still prevent women and girls from fully realizing their potential,' she said. 'Achieving full empowerment requires relentless commitment—not just from the state but from every sector.' The UN reaffirmed its pledge to support Kuwait in reviewing legislation, expanding women-focused programs, and driving initiatives that place women at the center of national development—steps crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 and ensuring no woman or girl is left behind.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
UNICEF warns of USD 160 trillion human capital loss if gender equality goal stays off track
New Delhi, The world, including India, is falling behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, which focuses on gender equality, and the consequences could result in a USD 160 trillion human capital loss, UNICEF warned on Friday. Although enrolment in primary schools has reached record highs in India and around the globe, the numbers sharply decline in higher classes, Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF's India representative, said. She urged stakeholders to reimagine solutions that address transport barriers, school infrastructure, and poverty-linked dropouts. "We still have miles to go. For example, Sustainable Development Goal number five is off track around the world, including in India. And the fact that it's off track means that there is a potential loss of human capital that is a staggering USD 160 trillion, which is twice the value of the global GDP. It's not a cost that we can afford, and it is preventable," she said. McCaffrey stressed that India has made remarkable strides in women's empowerment, calling it "the place to be" for global partnerships that aim to accelerate change. She welcomed India's budgetary increase for women-focused initiatives from 6.8 per cent last year to nearly 9 per cent in the 2025-2026 Union Budget as well as the landmark constitutional amendment reserving one-third of legislative seats for women. "That's empowering 1.5 million women, the largest cohort of women political leaders in the world," she said. Speaking on behalf of the United Nations and UNICEF, McCaffrey also acknowledged schemes that have impacted more than 100 million rural women through access to credit, livelihood training, and financial literacy. "This supports women's economic independence but also uplifts entire families and communities," she said. Citing examples of grassroots innovation, she praised two schoolgirls from Chhattisgarh Anjali and Kavita who built a robotic pipe-cleaning machine to improve safety for sanitation workers. "They brought their studies to life with support from their school's Atal Tinkering Lab and partners like UNICEF. Kavita said, 'I can dream bigger.' That's what this is all about," McCaffrey said. Calling India's National Education Policy 2020 an "enabling environment," she urged further investment to keep girls in school and ensure comprehensive learning.
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
United Nations (UN) Women and Stakeholders Lead Parallel Session on Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) at Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11) to Advance Gender Equality through Systemic Transformation
In a powerful parallel session during the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11), UN Women, alongside key stakeholders from governments, civil society, the private sector, and youth organizations, convened to reaffirm and reimagine commitments to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5): Achieve gender equality and empower all women and parallel session called for integrated, inclusive, and gender-responsive approaches to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 5 and Agenda 2063. The session provided a critical space to take stock of progress, examine persistent barriers, and collaboratively chart a path toward transformative, gender-responsive development rooted in the aspirations of Agenda 2063. Panelists, as well as participants, emphasized the urgent need to integrate gender perspectives into all areas of planning, budgeting, and resource allocation. They highlighted that embedding gender considerations into public systems and policies was essential to dismantling structural barriers and ensuring that women and girls are equitably included in Africa's development journey. During the discussions, it was clear that expanding women's access to financial resources, including credit, entrepreneurship opportunities, and financial literacy programs was important and must be prioritized if the continent was to accelerate efforts towards achieving gender equality. Innovative financial mechanisms developed in partnership with public and private stakeholders were highlighted as key tools to promote inclusion and economic independence. There was a unanimous call for a systemic redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work, recognizing its impact on women's economic participation. Investment in care infrastructure, adoption of work-life balance policies, and the formal recognition of care workers are foundational to enabling women's full engagement in the workforce. Digital inclusion emerged as a priority, with calls to expand affordable access to digital tools and scale digital literacy programs for women and girls. Stakeholders highlighted that digital empowerment not only bridges the gender divide but also unlocks new economic and leadership opportunities for women in the digital economy. The session shed light on the importance of youth engagement, with participants advocating for the active involvement of young women in policymaking and leadership. This intergenerational lens was seen as vital for building resilient, equitable, and sustainable development outcomes. The reaffirmation of stakeholders' commitment to tackling gender-based violence through comprehensive prevention, protection, and response mechanisms. The session called for integrated, cross-sectoral strategies to address violence as a major barrier to gender equality and sustainable development. As the climate crisis continues to deepen existing inequalities, the vulnerability of women to climate-related risks continues to rise. Gender-sensitive climate action—including equitable access to land, technology, and green jobs—was positioned as critical to achieving resilient, inclusive economies. Collaboration was a strong theme throughout the session. There is need to strengthen multisectoral partnerships involving governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations. Such alliances are key to mobilizing resources and accelerating gender-responsive solutions across the continent. The session identified persistent and emerging challenges undermining progress on gender equality, including: Economic inequality Underrepresentation of women in leadership roles Disproportionate unpaid care burdens Gender-based violence Digital exclusion Climate vulnerability Stakeholders must consider coordinated action to dismantle these systemic hurdles by embeding gender considerations in traditionally neglected sectors, such as transportation, infrastructure, and urban planning. Gender-responsive approaches in these areas were seen as essential to creating safer, more accessible, and equitable environments for women and marginalized communities. Stakeholders across the board should consider advocacy for decolonizing research practices and promoting community-driven, participatory knowledge production. Inclusion of indigenous knowledge systems and the empowerment of women and girls as both researchers and knowledge holders should be championed across the board. Additionally, a feminist research agenda was proposed—one that centers the lived experiences of women, focuses on transformative policy outcomes, and amplifies the voices of the most vulnerable. Africa must speaking with one voice in global forums to ensure the continent's gender equality priorities are clearly articulated and represented on the world stage. Part of this unanimous call involves strategic investments in public infrastructure, care systems, green economy pathways, and robust social protection. These interventions are critical to fostering inclusive development and ensuring gender equality is both a principle and a practice embedded in Africa's development blueprint. The parallel session served as a reaffirmation of Africa's resolve to leave no woman or girl behind, offering a vision of inclusive transformation driven by collective will, shared accountability, and bold, gender-responsive leadership. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
See - Sada Elbalad
17-04-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
UN Report Urges Immediate Regional Action to Close Critical Gender Gaps
Ahmed Emam The first edition of ''Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, A gender snapshot of the Arab region 2024'', launched today by UN Women Regional Office for Arab States and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), reveals both progress and persistent challenges in advancing the empowerment of women and girls in the region. The report highlights notable gains: women now hold 18 per cent of parliamentary seats, a significant increase from a decade ago. Maternal mortality declined by 45 per cent, from 246 to 139 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2000 and 2020. Additionally, 5.5 million more girls completing each level of education from primary to lower secondary compared to 2015. The gender gap in primary education completion rates has narrowed to 3 percentage points, and girls in secondary school have outperformed boys, with a 68 per cent completion rate compared to 66 per cent for boys. In the labour market, 23 per cent of employed women in the region hold jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Despite these gains, the report finds that none of the indicators and sub-indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 5—the goal for gender equality—are currently on track, except indictor 5.b.1 Ownership of a mobile telephone. At current pace, it will take a staggering 115 years to close the gap in labour force participation between females and males. Only one in five women in the region is employed or seeking employment, compared to the global average of 49 per cent. Alarmingly, 29.4 million girls in the Arab States were married before age 18. Women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and care work, spending 4.7 times more hours per day on it than men. As regional policymakers and stakeholders convene in Beirut for the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development (AFSD), the report calls for a renewed regional consensus to accelerate efforts toward closing the gender gap and advancing the rights and empowerment of all women and girls. "Today's report reveals an undeniable truth: progress is achievable, but it is not happening fast enough,' said Dr. Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director a.i. for the Arab States. 'We must continue to push forward to fulfill the commitments made by world leaders in the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 30 years ago and the 2030 Agenda. Let us unite to dismantle the barriers women and girls continue to face and create a future where women's empowerment is not just a goal, - but a reality.' The report underscores the astonishing high cost of inaction. For example, eliminating child marriage in the Arab States could increase annual economic growth by an estimated 3 per cent – potentially adding a USD 3 trillion to the region's economy by 2050. 'This report is a wake-up call—not only highlighting the strides made but also the glaring gaps that remain,' said Mehrinaz El-Awady, Leader of the Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development Cluster at ESCWA. 'Achieving gender equality in the Arab region requires urgency, commitment, and bold action. We owe it to every woman and girl to turn promises into progress, and progress into lasting change,' she added. The costs of inequality are too great to ignore, and the benefits of achieving it immense. The full and equal participation of women and girls in every aspect of society is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report outlines key recommendations to eliminate gender inequality across all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including accelerating legal reform, ending discrimination against women and girls, and increasing investment in empowering women - issues emphasized during the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action celebrated in March 2025. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. 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Trade Arabia
08-03-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Property Finder scales flagship SheForShe initiative
In celebration of International Women's Day, Property Finder, a leading property portal in the Mena region has announced the scaling of its flagship 'SheForShe' initiative. For its third edition, to be launched in September, the programme will partner with Women Choice, an international organization dedicated to empowering women and supporting their professional growth. This will aim to enhance the initiative's impact by providing mentorship and development opportunities for up to 300 women, with 30 industry mentors on board. The new-look programme aims to redress the gender imbalance in the industry by scaling up to include 30 mentors, who in turn will empower 300 women in real estate, it stated. At the heart of Property Finder's mission is the overarching purpose to 'Change Living for Good' across the region. The SheForShe programme is a pivotal part of this purpose, addressing the significant gender disparity in leadership roles within the real estate sector, said the statement. With only 3% of brokerage owners being female, the initiative strives to build a more inclusive and equitable industry. It also aligns with the UAE's Sustainable Development Goal 5 pledge, which seeks to have women in 30% of leadership positions by 2025, it added. "We are delighted to partner with Women Choice for the third edition of SheForShe. Their expertise and global perspective align perfectly with our mission to create lasting change in the real estate industry," said Sevgi Gur, Chief Marketing Officer at Property Finder. "We are committed to tackling the imbalance of female representation in real estate leadership. SheForShe has already proven to be a powerful force in this mission, and this year, under the theme 'Accelerate Action,' we are scaling the platform to create lasting change. Our aim is to build an equitable real estate industry in the UAE, where women are fully supported and empowered to thrive," she added. On the upcoming event, Nezha Alaoui, Founder and CEO at Women Choice, said: "Women belong in every industry, at every level, and real estate is no exception. Through SheForShe, we are not just opening doors; we are also making sure women feel confident walking through them." "This partnership with Property Finder is about more than just mentorship and skills; it is about building a strong and supportive community where women lift each other up and redefine what leadership looks like. I can't wait to see the incredible impact these 300 women will have not just on their careers, but on the industry as a whole," she added. -TradeArabia News Service
