Gender equality linked to poverty reduction and economic growth

Gender equality is essential for poverty reduction and sustained economic growth, yet lack of money remains one of the greatest impediments to achieving it.

In a new compilation of essays from around the world, gender experts and development practitioners examine how to ensure that sufficient financial resources are available to make the changes that not only affect the lives of millions of women, but also impact on society as a whole.

‘Small Change or Real Change: Commonwealth Perspectives on Financing Gender Equality’ looks at financing gender equality, including the implementation of the aid agenda, the implications for gender equality of financing HIV and AIDS interventions, the impacts of trade policies on key sources of financing and women’s need for equal access to affordable finance.

Dr Auxilia Ponga, Gender Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat and contributor to the book, says: “There is compelling evidence to indicate that gender equality can lead to poverty reduction and that it can be linked to economic growth. Numerous studies highlight the links between investment in education and health and economic growth and improved well-being.”

And she warns that some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without gender equality.

“The MDGs define the development agenda of the 21st century. Apart from Goal 3, which directly refers to ‘gender equality and women’s empowerment’, there are five other goals relating to poverty reduction, educational achievement, maternal mortality, infant mortality and combating AIDS, malaria and TB which cannot be achieved without ensuring gender equality.”

One of the biggest impediments to gender equality is lack of money, Dr Ponga said. Although countries have signed up to the Monterrey Consensus and have developed plans of action for women, national and state budgets have not reflected the same priorities.

“Inadequate resource allocation has meant that these plans have not been implemented,” she said. She argues that investments to reduce gender gaps in education and health are critical because inequalities in these areas affect women’s employment opportunities, choices in family planning and their children’s well-being.

Lack of access to land, credit, information and lack of participation in decision-making within the family and community and their reproductive role mean that women’s capacity to take advantage of economic opportunities is inhibited.

She said that although it has been recognised that these issues have serious costs to society, progress in formulating and implementing policies and programmes that are gender-sensitive has not been very systematic.

“I hope that governments, bilateral and multilateral organisations scale up their commitments to financing gender equality, making a real difference to the lives of women, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development,” said Dr Ponga.

The Secretariat publication is an outcome of the presentations and discussions at the 8th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (8WAMM) in Uganda in 2007, which had as its theme ‘Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy’. 8WAMM contributed substantively to the UN Commission on the Status of Women 52nd Session which focused on ‘Financing for Gender Equality’.

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