UNAIDS calls for zero discrimination against women & girls

Today, on Zero Discrimination Day (commemorated every year on 1st March), UNAIDS has called for an end to discrimination against women and girls, and for equal rights, opportunities and treatment. Despite progress in some areas, human rights violations, such as coercive practices, discriminatory legislation and gender-based violence are continuing to have a disproportionate impact on the lives of women and girls worldwide, confirmed UNAIDS.

The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has highlighted areas where change is urgently needed. They include equal participation in political life, human rights and laws that empower, economic justice – equal pay for equal work, ending gender-based violence, provide health care without stigma or barriers, equal and free access to primary and secondary education. Workplaces, business organisations (public and private) and education have therefore a huge role to play to promote equality and end discrimination.

A BETTER FUTURE

The theme of Zero Discrimination Day 2020 is about challenging the discrimination faced by women and girls in all their diversity, and promoting equality and empowerment for women and girls worldwide.

“Feminism, human rights and zero discrimination are values shared across the world,” stated Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “They express our humanity, our recognition that we share a vision for a better future, and they are central to ending AIDS.”

Zero Discrimination Day was first celebrated on 1st March 2014, and launched on 27th February of that year, with a major event in Beijing organised by UNAIDS’ Executive Director, Michel Sidibe. Since then the day has been used to spread awareness about AIDS, end discrimination against patients suffering from it and to help them get appropriate healthcare worldwide.

DEEP DISPARITIES

Globally, at least one in three women and girls have experienced violence in their lives, with adolescent girls experiencing higher rates of intimate partner violence than adult women overall, according to UNAIDS. This figure hides deep disparities, with more than 50% of women in some countries reporting violence just in the past 12 months. Although some countries have made progress towards greater gender equality, discrimination against women and girls still exists everywhere. We know that without equal opportunities early on, without access to education, inequality will persist, points out UNAIDS. Yet, nearly one in three adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19 years from the poorest households globally has never been to school.  

Inequalities, discrimination and violence continue to be enabled within the very structures of society. In many countries, laws that discriminate against women and girls remain in force – in areas of work, property, criminal law and sexual and reproductive health and rights, among others. More than 80 countries criminalise some aspect of sex work, and women are disproportionately affected by laws that criminalise drug use, confirmed UNAIDS.

Meanwhile, laws that uphold women’s basic rights and protect them against harm and unequal treatment are far from the norm. For example, only 88 out of 190 countries have laws regarding equal pay for work of equal value for men and women. Intersecting with other forms of discrimination, on income, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, these rights violations disproportionately harm women and girls.

EQUAL ACCESS COMMITMENT

Numerous government commitments to end violence and discrimination against women and girls have been made over the years, yet hundreds of millions of women and girls continue to be subjected to discrimination, abuse and violence, at a huge cost to themselves and to their families, communities, societies and economic development. “We need to transform our societies so that no one is second class,” said Ms Byanyima. “We must end gender-based violence, inequality and insecurity, and ensure that women and girls have equal access to education, health, public life and employment.”

For this transformation, we need women in roles of leadership, at community level as well as nationally, regionally and globally. Representation of women’s interests is central to changing structural inequalities, according to UNAIDS. Yet, in 2019, less than a quarter of parliamentarians were women. Compounding these inequalities are the burdens of unpaid care and domestic work, unequal property and inheritance rights and limited financial autonomy.

It is estimated that women carry out three quarters of care work in the household – work that is still not given recognition for its importance in society and the economy and remains unpaid. Ensuring that women’s rights are protected, ending discrimination against women and girls and removing discriminatory laws will therefore be central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuing equity and equality for all, added UNAIDS.