The World Bank flagship report on Gender equality and development released in Washington DC estimates an alarming figure of 3.9 million women that die every year in low and middle income countries.
According to a press release posted onto the Word Bank website, the world development report 2012 ‘Gender Equality and Development’ indicates the worst disparity of the rate at which girls and women die relative to men in developing countries.
The report suggests that about two-fifths are never born due to a preference for sons, a sixth die in early childhood, and over a third die in their reproductive years.
It calls for nations’ concerted efforts to empower women to achieve economic development indicating that Gender equality matters and also smart economics.
“Countries that create better opportunities and conditions for women and girls can raise productivity, improve outcomes for children, make institutions more representative, and advance development prospects for all,” the report reads in part.
However, the report suggest that lives of women around the world have improved dramatically making unprecedented gains in rights, education, health, and access to jobs and livelihoods.
Even though there is a notable progress in the lives of women, there are still gaps to be bridged that need policy makers’ attention, the report suggests.
According to the report, four priority areas have been identified for domestic policy action including reducing excess female mortality and closing education gaps , improving access to economic opportunities and limiting the reproduction of gender inequality across generations
While domestic policy action is crucial, the Report calls on the international community to complement efforts in the four priority areas and also support evidence-based public action through better data, impact evaluation and learning.
The analytical core of the Report focuses on the roles of economic growth, households, markets, and institutions in determining gender differences in education and health, agency, and access to economic opportunities.
According to the report, the number of female mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa increased to 1.18 million in 2008, compared to 639,000 in 1990.
So as the problem of girls who die during infancy and early childhood, the report calls for greater investments in adequate water, sanitation and waste disposal services.
It also suggest that lowering maternal mortality will require systemic improvements to the institutions that deliver medical care and services to expectant mothers.
“We need to achieve gender equality, over the past five years, the World Bank Group has provided $65 billion to support girls’ education, women’s health, and women’s access to credit, land, agricultural services, jobs, and infrastructure,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.
“The road to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa can only be built on a gender inclusive agenda that unleashes the productive power of women,” said Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for Africa.
“That agenda should advance women’s education and access to information, protect women’s rights, improve women’s access to agricultural inputs and security over their land, promote female entrepreneurship, and increase the participation of women in government and public life”. She added.
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