state of world population 2005state of world Goals Health and the Millennium Development Reproductive Gender Equity, of Equality: Promise The UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA — because everyone counts. state of world population 2005 United Nations Population Fund 220 East 42nd Street, 23rd Fl. New York, NY 10017 U.S.A. www.unfpa.org ISBN 0-89714-750-2 E/31,000/2005 sales no. E.05.III.H.1 Printed on recycled paper. state of world population 2005 The Promise of Equality Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals Copyright © UNFPA 2005 United Nations Population Fund Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director Contents Chapters 1 Overview ı 6 Partnering with Boys and Men 57 Men’s Roles in Achieving the 2 Strategic Investments: Millennium Development Goals 57 The Equality Dividend 9 The Impact of Gender Roles on Men 58 A Poverty of Opportunity and Choices 9 Reaching Out to Boys and Men 60 Critical Investments, Large Payoffs Reinterpreting Masculinity 60 (Education, Reproductive Health, Economic Rights) ı0 The Formative Years 6ı Reconciling Productive and Reproductive Roles ı5 Accelerating Progress 62 Accountability for Gender Justice ı7 7 Gender-Based Violence: 3 The Promise of Human Rights 2ı A Price Too High 65 Human Rights and Poverty Reduction 22 The Magnitude and Many Forms of Gender-Based Violence The Human Rights of Girls and Women 22 65 Violence Against Women and the MDGs Human Rights: Essentials for the MDGs 24 68 Mobilizing for ‘Zero Tolerance’ Reproductive Rights in Practice 25 70 Men Take a Stand Rights, Gender and Culture: Seeking Convergence 27 72 Support for Disenfranchised Groups 28 8 Women and Young People 4 Reproductive Health: in Humanitarian Crises 75 A Measure of Equity 33 After a Crisis: Opportunities for Equity and Peace 75 An Evolving Human Rights Framework Maternal Death and Disability 34 76 The Feminization of HIV/AIDS 37 Participation of Women and Gender Equality: The Path to Recovery 78 Reaping the Rewards of Family Planning 4ı Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Crises 5 The Unmapped Journey: 78 Safeguarding Reproductive Health and Rights in 45 Adolescents, Poverty and Gender Humanitarian Emergencies 80 Adolescence: Opportunities and Risks 45 Reproductive Health in the Lives of Adolescents and Youth 48 Young People and HIV/AIDS 5ı Child Marriage 53 Young People and Employment 55 II TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 Road Map to the Millennium Graphs and Tables Development Goals and Beyond 85 Figure 1 The Global Burden of Sexual and Reproductive Women’s Empowerment: Lifting Families and Health Conditions 34 Nations Out of Poverty 85 Empowering Young People: The MDGs and Beyond 85 Figure 2 Births Attended by Skilled Personnel Among Universal Reproductive Health: Fulfilling the Poorest and Richest Women 36 Cairo to Reach the MDGs 85 Rights and Equality: Guiding Poverty Figure 3 Reduction Policies 88 Contraceptive Use According to Wealth 42 Resources: A Modest Price Tag for Figure 4 Human Dignity and Equity 89 Childbearing Among the Poorest and Richest Adolescents 50 Figure 5 Women Who Believe Wife Beating is Justified for Notes and Indicators 93 at Least One Reason 68 Sources for Quotations ı05 Photo Captions and Credits ı20 Sources for Boxes ı05 Editorial Team ı20 Indicators ı07 Monitoring ICPD Goals: Selected Indicators ı07 Demographic, Social and Economic Indicators ııı Selected Indicators for Less-Populous Countries/Territories ıı5 Notes for Indicators ıı7 Technical Notes ıı7 THE STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2005 III 1 Overview “No new promises are needed—only following through on commitments already made.” — UN Millennium Project he world has an unprecedented opportunity to large share of the labour force and play a central role realize the promise of equality and freedom in rural economies and food production. They are also from want. During the next decade, hundreds primary guardians of the next generation. Gender dis- Tof millions of people can be released from the strong- crimination squanders human capital by making hold of poverty. The lives of 30 million children and inefficient use of individual abilities, thus limiting 2 million mothers can be spared.1 The spread of AIDS the contribution of women. It also undermines the can be reversed. Millions of young people can play a effectiveness of development policies.2 larger role in their countries’ development and, in When discriminatory burdens are removed, the turn, create a better world for themselves and capacity and earning power of women increase. generations to come. Furthermore, women tend to reinvest these gains in Gender equality and reproductive health are indis- the welfare of their children and families, multiply- pensable to the realization of this promise. ing their contributions to national development. In the year 2000, leaders from 189 countries met at Empowering women propels countries forward the United Nations Millennium Summit and forged a towards the MDGs and improves the lives of all. unique global compact to reduce poverty. From the Summit’s declaration, eight Millennium Development Reproductive Health and Rights: The considerable, Goals (MDGs) were derived, with 2015 set as the date and largely preventable, burden of poor reproductive for their achievement. In 2002, the UN Millennium health falls most heavily on the poorest women and Project brought together more than 250 leading their families, who can least afford its consequences. experts to advise the UN Secretary-General on how to The ability to make free and informed choices in implement the MDGs. Their conclusions are reflected reproductive life, including those involving childbear- throughout this year’s State of World Population report. ing, underpins self-determination in all other areas of Gender equality is a human right, one of the women’s lives. Because these issues affect women so Millennium Development Goals and key to achieving profoundly, reproductive health cannot be separated the other seven. The UN Millennium Project conclud- from the wider goal of gender equality. ed that reproductive health is essential to achieving the MDGs, including the goal of gender equality. The Equality Dividend: Investments in gender equality and reproductive Strategic Investments, Large Payoffs health offer multiple rewards that can accelerate Countries will need to invest scarce resources wisely if social and economic progress, with lasting impact on they are to meet the MDGs by the fast-approaching future generations. 2015 deadline. As discussed in Chapter 2, experience shows that simultaneous investments in three areas Gender Equality and Equity: The costs of gender dis- can be particularly effective in spurring progress at crimination are highest for low-income countries, and the country level: education for girls and women; within countries, for the poor. Women constitute a reproductive health information and services and THE STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2005 1 women’s economic rights.3 Women engaged in the worldwide and reduce the overall productivity of political process, as individuals or members of women by as much as 20 per cent.5 Adolescent civil society organizations, can help keep these pregnancy, the AIDS epidemic, and excess fertility priority issues high on national agendas, and hold due to lack of family planning services further governments and other key actors accountable strain national budgets, slow social and economic to commitments made. development and deepen poverty. Expanding Education for Girls and Women: The Providing Economic Opportunities: Although gender gap in education has left nearly twice as many women have entered the paid workforce in increasing women as men illiterate. In the poorest regions, more numbers, they confront many forms of discrimina- girls than boys are out of school, and the gap widens at tion, including restricted choice of occupations and the secondary level—even though secondary and high- lower wages. Entrepreneurial efforts may be frustrat- er education for girls is especially significant in ed by laws and customs that combine to prevent reducing poverty. Educational attainment increases women from owning property, acquiring credit or women’s income-earning potential, reduces maternal controlling income. In some regions, women cannot and infant mortality and improves reproductive inherit, even from deceased husbands. Many end up health overall. It is associated with lower rates of HIV. working in the informal sector, where work is unregu- Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage and lated, poorly paid, insecure and often unsafe.6 childbearing, and instead acquire skills to improve The labour of rural women accounts for 60 to 80 economic prospects for themselves and their families. per cent of food production in developing countries,7 The multiple benefits of girls’ education also lead to but many face restrictions on the rights to own, use better health and education for the next generation. and inherit land. Research in some sub-Saharan African countries found that output could increase Improving Reproductive Health: Reproductive health problems comprise the leading cause of death and ı 2005: MILESTONES IN THE COUNTDOWN TO 4 disability for women the world over. Most are pre- THE MDGS ventable. Universal access to reproductive health This year begins the 10-year countdown to the 2015 deadline services is an international commitment and a for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It also offers human rights imperative. It is also a powerful several milestones by which to measure progress and intensify investment for countries fighting poverty. action to improve the human condition. The year 2005 marks: Impoverished women and adolescent girls with • The 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference limited access to reproductive health care suffer the on Women most.