Gender equity is a pillar of self-reliant communities.

We firmly believe that women are essential as key change agents in achieving the end of hunger and poverty. Yet, international women’s empowerment faces barriers in the form of limited access to education, health, nutrition, economic opportunities, and local politics.

Despite these challenges, women continue to bear almost all responsibility for meeting their families’ basic needs.

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Gender inequity focus areas

Political involvement

We recognize the prevalence of gender discrimination and the global imbalance of power and responsibility. The global status of gender representation in parliamentary houses is far from equal. A proven way to overcome many systematic barriers to women’s success has been increased participation in local, regional and national legislation as active change agents. 

Women’s & girls’ healthcare

Women’s global health is an issue in large part because women in impoverished communities around the world lack access to basic healthcare. Increased HIV/AIDS prevalence and higher maternal mortality rates are just two of many health issues that women face. Meanwhile, girls lack adequate healthcare support and education to keep themselves healthy.

Educational access

A large number of girls are taken out of school early, especially in communities where labor is needed to support the sustenance of their families. The lack of education has downstream effects on women’s abilities to overcome systemic challenges and limits opportunities for representation in local politics.

Economic opportunities through agriculture

Women in developing countries provide the majority of the agricultural labor yet are disproportionately affected by hunger and poverty. 

Gender discrimination limits women farmers’ access to agricultural inputs, credit services and a market to sell their products. These constraints lead to lower crop yields, reduced income and the continued cycle of poverty and hunger for women and their children. 

Gender-equal access to these agriculture resources could significantly boost crop yields, enhance food security and increase economic opportunities for women. 

Women who gain financial independence often reinvest in their families, spending on food, healthcare and education. This creates a ripple effect, lifting entire communities out of poverty.

What is the difference between gender equality and gender equity?

Gender equality occurs when everyone, no matter their gender, has the same rights and opportunities. It’s about ensuring everyone has equal access to education, resources and a voice in decision-making. 

On the other hand, gender equity means fair distribution of benefits and responsibilities, creating a level playing field for everyone. Gender equity is an important milestone on the road to addressing global gender inequality and building a society where all individuals can thrive.

Partnering with resilient women around the world to…

• Provide access to microfinance. At epicenters across Africa, tens of thousands of women food farmers are increasing their incomes through our training, credit and savings program while strengthening their clout in the marketplace.
• Support elected women representatives. Campaigns such as SWEEP (Strengthening Women’s Leadership in the Electoral Process) identify and support elected women representatives throughout India. Many participants go on to become elected women representatives and change agents for ending hunger in their villages. They form district- and state-wide federations to ensure that their voices are heard at top levels of government.
• Promote community leadership roles for women. Our Women’s Empowerment Program supports women to change mindsets about gender discrimination, so they can become strong leaders in their households and communities. In Africa, every Epicenter Committee – a council that is elected to be responsible for all epicenter activities – must include an equal number of women and men.
• Build a platform for underrepresented voices. In Mexico, we work with indigenous communities where the highly patriarchal social structure denies women access to vital resources and a platform for their voices. Our programs focus on encouraging women leaders as they advocate for themselves and the resources that they need, based on their own assessments and desires for their communities.
• Celebrate and support girls. In Bangladesh, we catalyzed the formation of a 300-organization alliance that honors National Girl Child Day each year. This day gathers tens of thousands of people in events focused on eradicating all forms of discrimination against girl children. The alliance also functions as the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum throughout the year and THP-Bangladesh serves as the secretariat. In 2011, the United Nations formally recognized October 11 as the International Day of the Girl.
• Halt the spread of HIV/AIDS through education and awareness building. Our HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality Campaign was launched in 2003. African leaders who were willing and able to confront the gender issues fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS designed workshops to support community transformation of the conditions that fuel the disease. Since then, the workshops have reached millions of participants.

Global gender inequality statistics

Why is gender equality a global issue?

According to UNICEF…

• Girls aged 10-14 are twice as likely as boys their age to spend excessive hours doing chores (>21 hours per week).
• 22% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 around the world do not currently participate in education, employment, or other training — nearly twice the percentage of boys the same age. 
• 70% of new HIV infections in 2023 occurred amongst girls between the ages of 15-19 worldwide.
• Nearly one out of every two girls between the ages of 15-19 do not have access to modern family planning methods.

Where is gender inequality the highest?

Gender inequality is a multi-pronged issue with several inputs. Whereas some regions may score well on certain elements, they may score lower on others. 

For example, according to the World Economic Forum:

• Sub-Saharan Africa (68.2%) and South Asia (63.4%) score amongst the lowest regions when it comes to closing the gender gap.
• Southern Asia ranks the lowest of all regions in terms of economic participation and opportunity for women at 37.2%. 
• At 86%, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks the lowest of all regions in girls’ educational attainment.

When women thrive, communities flourish.

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