STATISTICS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
The following are statistics obtained at the NGO forum by the Feminist Majority Foundation delegation.
Economic Decision Making
At the current rate of progress, it would take 475 years for women to reach equality with men as
senior managers.
(Source: 1994 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development, United Nations 1995)
Environment
Nearly 92 million women in urban areas lack access to safe drinking water, and
more than 133 million women in urban areas lack proper sanitation.
(Source: The World's Women 1995: Trends and Statistics, United Nations 1995)
Girl Child
More than one million babies die each year from malnutrition, neglect and abuse who would not
have died if they had not been born girls
(Source: Education Working Group, UNICEF)
Law
Average per cent of economically active women:
- In countries that have ratified CEDAW without substantive reservations:
1970, 44%; 1980, 60%; 1990, 71%.
- In countries that have ratified CEDAW with reservations:
1970, 35%; 1980, 43%; 1990, 55%.
- In countries that have taken no action on CEDAW:
1970, 21%; 1980, 41%; 1990, 45%.
(Source: 1994 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development)
Media
Percentage of women employed in print journalism in six Latin American countries:
- Reporters & "standard" journalists: 28%;
- Correspondents: 29%;
- Sub-editors: 36%;
- Editors: 24%;
- Bureu Chiefs, Directors, Executive Directors: 21%.
There are no women in the bureau chief category in any of the African Countries,
Japan or Malaysia.
(Source: Margaret Gallagher/DPI)
Peace
Out of the current annual U.S. $125 Billion in military
expenditure in developing countries:
- 4% would reduce adult illiteracy by half, provide universal primary education, and educate
women to the same level as men.;
- 8% would provide basic family planning to all who want it and stabilize world population by
the year 2015;
- 12% would provide primary health care for all, immunization of all children, elimination of
sever malnutrition, and safe drinking water for all.
(Source: Human Development Report 1994, UNDP)
Politics
The percentage of women as parliamentarians, globally, has not changed much over two decades:
- 1975, 6.8%; 1987, 9.7%; 1993, 8.8%.
In 1994, in only 3 countries 30% of the decision makers were women. At a 30% "critical mass" women start to have a visible impact on the style and content of political decisions.
(Source: Second Review and Appraisal of the National Forward-looking Strategies)
Poverty
Out of 1.3 billion people living in absolute poverty, 70% are women.
(Source: Human Development Report 1995, UNDP)
Refugees
75% of refugees and displaced persons are women and children.
(Source: Wistat, 1994 & UNHCR)
Reproductive Health
Approximately 500,000 women, nearly all in the developing world, die from causes
related to pregnancy and childbirth every year: 1,500 every day.
A woman's risk of dying in childbirth is 1 in 25 to 40 in developing countries, but
is only 1 in 3,000 in developed countries.
(Source: 1994 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development)
Violence
One women is physically abused every eight second and one is raped every six minutes.
(Source: National Center on Women and Family Law, USA, 1988/New York Times, 19 October 1994)
Youth
1 Out of Every 20 Teenagers contracts a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Some STDs can cause lifelong disabilities, such as infertility, or even death.
About half of all HIV Infections so far have occurred in people younger than age 25. Since the start of the epidemic, at least six million youth have been infected with HIV.
(Source: Population Reference Bureau, 1994)
Copyright 1995, The Feminist Majority Foundation and New Media Publishing Inc.