Media advisory

Media advisory: UN Women-UNDP to launch joint Report, "The Paths to Equality: Twin Indices on Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality"

The UN Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) will launch the joint Report, "The Paths to Equality: Twin Indices on Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality," in Kigali, Rwanda on 18 July 2023. The Report highlights the global challenges faced by women and provides a roadmap for targeted interventions and policy reforms.  

The Report introduces two indices: the Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) measures women's power and freedoms to make choices, while the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) assesses gender disparities in key dimensions of human development. Combined, these indices offer a comprehensive assessment of countries' progress in achieving gender equality.  

Today low women’s empowerment and large gender gaps are commonplace. Less than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and a small gender gap. Globally, women are empowered to achieve, on average, only 60 percent of their full potential, as measured by the WEI and women achieve, on average, 28 percent less than men across key human development dimensions, as measured by the GGPI.  

These disparities are harmful not just to women’s well-being and advancement but also to human progress. In the lead up to the global United Nations Summit in September whose goal is to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the twin indices provide vital evidence needed for achieving the SDGs, including SDG 5 (“Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”). 

Speakers include: 

  • Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Women;  

  • Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General and Administrator, United Nations Development Programme;  

  • Fridah Githuku, Executive Director, GROOTS Kenya 

  • Greta Bull, Director, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Gender Equality Division, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 

  • Jamille Bigio, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, Office of the Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development  

  • Papa Seck, Chief, Research and Data, UN Women;  

  • Yanchun Zhang, Chief Statistician, UNDP;  

18 July, 1:30-2:30pm CET / 7:30-8:30 am EDT 

UN Foundation Nest Hub, Norrsken House Kigali Town Hall (KN 78 St, Kigali, Rwanda) 

Registration is needed for virtual or in-person participation: https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1klfpOOyQiicFjkhdyZyYA  

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