Gender Equality

Description

Gender equality funding raises the status, increases participation, and ensures the human rights of women and girls worldwide. Programs seek to strengthen women’s participation as political leaders, as well as their capacity as citizens to constructively engage their governments in key democratic processes and contribute to community-based conflict mitigation efforts.

What does it buy?

Funds are provided to partners through grants, cooperative agreements, and other mechanisms to implement programming that promotes women’s leadership, political participation, and economic empowerment. Programming prevents and responds to gender-based violence—including child marriage and female genital mutilation and cutting—and promotes objectives that relate to women’s and girls’ wellbeing, security, and inclusion in peace-building processes. Funding will also support USAID operating units in integrating gender equality into their strategies, project design, and monitoring and evaluation activities.

Why is it important?

• In 2015, the McKinsey Global Institute found that if women participated in the economy equally with men, it would add up to $28 trillion or 26% added to the annual global GDP by 2025.
• Women and girls are chronically undervalued members of society who face significant challenges in both humanitarian and development contexts. Their voice and agency are often far less regarded than those of males.
• 1 in 3 women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime.
• Research shows that societies with greater gender equality experience faster economic growth, better outcomes for children, and more representative government institutions. And yet, 62 million girls are not in school.
• Globally, more than 650 million women alive today were married as children, and an estimated 12 million girls under 18 are married each year. Married girls are often unable to complete their education, lack economic opportunities, and face increased risks from early pregnancy, childbirth, and intimate partner violence, all of which often perpetuate a cycle of poverty.

Why should Americans care?

• Advancing global gender equality supports the U.S.’s global diplomatic and development strategy. Research shows that when women and girls are meaningfully included in all aspects of decision-making, countries are more likely to be peaceful and prosperous. For example, peace agreements are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years if women are involved in their creation.
• Empowering girls to stay in school and delay marriage has ramifications for both their lives and for the global economy. Every additional year of secondary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 15% to 25%.

What more could be done?

• Additional investment in gender equality would ensure that goals on issues as diverse as education, health, violence, countering violent extremism, and economic advancement are met for women and girls, their families, and their communities.
• Increased investment will ensure that the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative can be fully implemented.
• Investing in global gender equality programming brings the U.S. closer to achieving its stated strategic goals.
  • The Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 requires all USAID programs and strategies to be shaped by a gender analysis, so that gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated throughout programs.
  • The Women Peace and Security Act mandates that the U.S. shall “promote the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management, and resolution.”
  • The U.S. National Security Strategy includes the importance of mainstreaming gender to accomplish national security objectives.