Gender equality benefits women and children
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When women are empowered, children prosper, is the categorical message of this years 'State of the World's Children'
Report by UNICEF.
Examining the status of women today, the report argues that gender equality produces the 'double dividend' of benefiting both women and children and is 'pivotal to the health and development of families, communities and nations'.
The household, the workplace and the political sphere are the three major areas the report identifies where women must have influence in order for poverty to be reduced and for sustainable development to be achieved. 'Women who have access to meaningful, income-producing work are more likely to increase their families' standards of living, leading children out of poverty,' the report concluded.
World Vision works with microfinance institutions across the globe to empower women, thus improving nutrition, healthcare, housing conditions, access to education for children and ensuring more income is available for children's needs.
In the Middle East and Eastern Europe Region, some 77,738 children benefited from loans from the eight microfinance institutions across the region.
'All our Micro Enterprise Development (MED) programs specifically target women. The results vary by country but on average 70 per cent of our loans go to women. This specifically impacts families and is a major part of our peace building strategy as well,' said Neil Cuthbert, MED Regional Director.
'In a predominantly Muslim society, we have had to go out into the communities and encourage the women to come forward,' explained Rusudan Kharabadze, Executive Director of KosInvest, in Kosovo. 'When we began, we had 5 active female clients out of 500, and now, female clients account for 65 per cent of our clientele."
Examining the status of women today, the report argues that gender equality produces the 'double dividend' of benefiting both women and children and is 'pivotal to the health and development of families, communities and nations'.
The household, the workplace and the political sphere are the three major areas the report identifies where women must have influence in order for poverty to be reduced and for sustainable development to be achieved. 'Women who have access to meaningful, income-producing work are more likely to increase their families' standards of living, leading children out of poverty,' the report concluded.
World Vision works with microfinance institutions across the globe to empower women, thus improving nutrition, healthcare, housing conditions, access to education for children and ensuring more income is available for children's needs.
In the Middle East and Eastern Europe Region, some 77,738 children benefited from loans from the eight microfinance institutions across the region.
'All our Micro Enterprise Development (MED) programs specifically target women. The results vary by country but on average 70 per cent of our loans go to women. This specifically impacts families and is a major part of our peace building strategy as well,' said Neil Cuthbert, MED Regional Director.
'In a predominantly Muslim society, we have had to go out into the communities and encourage the women to come forward,' explained Rusudan Kharabadze, Executive Director of KosInvest, in Kosovo. 'When we began, we had 5 active female clients out of 500, and now, female clients account for 65 per cent of our clientele."
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
