• Programmes

Women’s empowerment ensures that women and girls have control over their lives and are able to participate actively in social, political and economic domains. It is about realizing true equality for men and women. Taking stock of the position of women worldwide, the good news is that the numbers of countries creating a more supportive environment by adopting anti-discrimination policies is on the increase. They are also taking affirmative action towards legal quotas for women, and the number of employed women is rising. The bad news is that the majority of women still work in informal jobs, under poor working conditions and without earning a living wage. The same holds true for women’s participation in politics: more women are participating, but still far fewer than men, and hardly any of them in leading positions. In part this is due to the slow change in men’s attitudes towards female leadership and economic empowerment.