It's International Women's Day (IWD)! Rooted in a history of working-class struggles and the 20th century suffrage movements, IWD gives us an opportunity to take stock of where the world stands on gender equality, and the action needed to accelerate progress.
At current pace, global gender equality won't be reached until 2108 at the earliest! But this doesn't have to be our reality. In our new report, 'Fast Track or Backtrack: The Prospects for Gender Equality by 2049' we take a look at the different routes to a #GenderEqualFuture and the drivers behind them.
After analyzing a range of countries where progress occurred in our Index, we found that strong feminist movements were consistently highlighted as a crucial driver of change. From tackling femicide in Argentina to supporting women's participation in local government in Nepal, we captured a range of stories of feminist movements at the forefront of change for girls and women in their countries.
Whilst the critical role of feminist movements is increasing well documented, they remain severely underfunded. The latest data from the OECD suggest that gender equality-related aid going directly to these organizations and movements annually has dropped by over 20% since 2018 (from $581m to $453m).
This is occurring in the face of a shrinking civic space and in opposition to a coordinated and well-funded community of anti-rights actors dedicated to halting and rolling back gender equality.
We echo the IWD call to #InvestInWomen to accelerate progress! More and better investment in feminist organizations and movements is needed across all countries to get us on the fast track toward a gender-equal future.
Amanda Austin
Head of Global Engagement
Equal Measures 2030
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