Despite progress on women’s rights over the last five decades, women and girls still face pushback, obstacles, obstruction and even the threat of violence and incarceration when standing up for their sexual and reproductive rights, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says in a new post on its website.
Gains are actually being reversed, the agency says, especially for marginalized groups and people in humanitarian crises.
“The right to go to school. To join the workforce. The right to vote. To have a bank account. The right to choose whether to have children. The right to use contraception – or not. The right to live free from violence. To say yes or no to sex. The right to wed – if, when and with whom she wants. For women and girls, these rights are far from assured, and many must still fight to defend them,” UNFPA says.
UNFPA believes women’s rights are under pressure because of the misunderstanding that gender equality only benefits women and girls. In fact, gender equality benefits all people, UNFPA says.
Here are the agency’s three reasons it believes the world must invest in women’s rights to ensure progress for everyone:
1. Because violence against women and girls is a global crisis
Every three seconds an adolescent girl is married somewhere in the world. One woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family member. About 1 in 3 women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, UNFPA data show.
“Gender-based violence is not just discrimination – it also means rape, murder, beatings and humiliation,” explained Dafne Aquino, a psychologist working with UNFPA to bring information and essential health services to indigenous women in the Peruvian Amazon.
One critical step towards eliminating violence is gender equality – and achieving this does not only help women and girls, it greatly improves outcomes for men as well, the agency found. Studies show gender equality lowers men’s mortality rates, including by causing a 40% reduced risk of violent death.
2. Because reproductive rights are human rights
There is a large body of evidence showing that when women can choose and access the contraception that best fits their needs, it has ripple-down benefits for all of society. Studies show that for every additional $1 spent on contraceptive services, the costs of pregnancy-related and newborn care are reduced by $3.
Tatu Omar Sharif and her husband live with their eight children on the Pemba island of Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania. “My husband and I didn’t intend to have many children – I was often surprised that I was pregnant again,” she told UNFPA. When the couple learned about family planning together at a clinic, they saw a way to provide a better future.
In 2024, UNFPA provided $139 million worth of contraceptives through its Supplies Partnership alone, saving countries $752 million from reduced health-care costs for pregnancy, delivery and post-abortion care. This potentially averted 9.9 million unintended pregnancies, preventing 224,000 maternal and newborn deaths and 2.97 million unsafe abortions.
3. Because women are still at risk of dying while giving birth
Investments in reproductive health not only reduce maternal mortality, but they also reduce childbirth injuries and health complications and promote well-being for mothers and babies alike. Strengthening midwifery training and care alone could avert more than 40% of maternal deaths, 39% of neonatal deaths and 26% of stillbirths – equaling 2.2 million lives saved annually by 2035.
For Amina in Sudan, her survival depended on the kindness – and skill – of a stranger, who performed a Caesarean section on the floor of his home. “I had to start walking again just six hours later, carrying my baby while my wounds were still fresh and painful,” she told UNFPA.
When mothers die, their children are many times more likely to die as well, and if their children survive they have worse nutrition and schooling. Yet just $1 put towards family planning and maternal health, $8.40 would yield in economic benefits.
No gender equality without reproductive health and rights
Women’s health, well-being and autonomy depend on sexual and reproductive healthcare. Social change and progress rely on women having equal rights – and being empowered to claim them.
UNFPA estimates that $222 billion dollars is required to make zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices a reality by 2030.
Read more: We Are Enough challenges 3 million women to make $3 billion in gender-lens investments
