The latest report from UN Women has indicated that two billion women and girls worldwide lack access to any form of social protection.
This report, published ahead of the Oct. 17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, stresses the urgent need for harnessing social protection to achieve gender equality, resilience, and transformation.
The report shows a widening gender gap in social protection policies, which encompass cash benefits, unemployment protection, pensions, and healthcare.
As a result, women and girls are left increasingly vulnerable to poverty.
Despite an overall increase in asocial protection levels since 2015, the gender disparities in coverage have worsened in most developing regions, suggesting that recent improvements have disproportionately benefited men.
Presenting the report at a joint event with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, emphasized the potential of social protection to promote gender equality and resilience.
“To harness this, we need to center the dignity and empowerment of women and girls at every stage of the process, from policy and program design to delivery and financing,” Hendriks stated.
The report also sheds light on the current state of maternity protection globally.
Despite advancements, more than 63% of women worldwide still give birth without access to maternity benefits, with this figure rising to an alarming 94% in sub-Saharan Africa.
The lack of financial support during maternity leave places women at a significant economic disadvantage, jeopardizing their health and well-being as well as that of their children, thereby perpetuating poverty across generations.
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Moreover, the report reveals that women aged 25-34 are 25% more likely to live in extremely poor households compared to their male counterparts in the same age group.
This inequality is exacerbated by factors such as conflict and climate change.
Women living in fragile contexts are 7.7 times more likely to experience extreme poverty compared to those in stable environments.
The report further notes that gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities are often overlooked in the aftermath of crises.
For instance, high inflation rates since 2022, which have driven up food and energy prices, have disproportionately affected women.
Despite nearly 1,000 social protection measures adopted by governments across 171 countries in response to these challenges, only 18% specifically targeted women’s economic security.
UN Women therefore call on governments to prioritize the needs of women and girls in social protection measures and crisis responses, urging them to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
