Country progressing economically, regressing in gender equality results – Roberta Lepre
Victim Support Malta Director Roberta Lepre sees it as strange that a country that is supposedly progressing in the economic sphere is regressing in its results pertaining to gender equality.
Dr Lepre was speaking to The Malta Independent on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
She explained that the discrepancy between the economic success and gender equality might be a warning sign that the economic achievements obtained are not based on sustainable practices and might not last in the medium to long term.
Dr Lepre was asked if she believes it is still relevant to celebrate Women’s Day. “Women’s Day is as relevant today as ever before. From a global perspective, it is still clearly evident from relevant indicators that we are far from achieving full equality between boys and girls, and men and women, in various spheres of life.”
She quoted from international reports, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index in particular. According to this index, there are only five countries that have closed 80% of the gap or more and 64 countries that have closed between 70% and 80% of their gender gap. A further 65 countries have closed between 60% and 70%, while 10 countries have closed between 50% and 60%.
From a national perspective, Malta has slipped a few places back in the Global Gender index, showing that things are regressing rather than progressing.”
She explained that, beyond the obvious arguments concerning the need to ensure social justice and equity in order to create a fairer and more just society, this situation is not ideal as gender equality needs to be acknowledged as a crucial factor impacting on good governance, profitability, and to sustainable development.
Dr Lepre invited all relevant stakeholders, be they men or women, to reflect on the current state of affairs, acknowledge the need to improve things and to commit to take action to move forward. “The ultimate benefits will be enjoyed by society as a whole, and not only women,” she concluded.