Gender equality (also known as gender equity, gender egalitarianism, or sexual equality) is the goal of the equality of the genders or the sexes, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.

World bodies have defined gender equality as related to human rights, especially women's rights, and economic development. UNICEF defines gender equality as "levelling the playing field for girls and women by ensuring that all children have equal opportunity to develop their talents."

The United Nations Population Fund declared gender equality "first and foremost, a human right." "Gender equity" is one of the goals of the United Nations Millennium Project, to end world poverty by 2015; the project claims, "Every single Goal is directly related to women's rights, and societies where women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner."

Thus, promoting gender equality is seen as an encouragement to greater economic prosperity. For example, nations of the Arab world that deny equality of opportunity to women were warned in a 2008 United Nations-sponsored report that this disempowerment is a critical factor crippling these nations' return to the first rank of global leaders in commerce, learning and culture.

See also

General issues

• Complementarianism
• Egalitarianism
• Gender mainstreaming
• Right to equal protection
• Sex and gender distinction

Specific issues

• Bahá'í Faith and gender equality
• Female economic activity
• Female education
• Gender equality and climate change
• Gender Parity Index (in education)
• Mixed-sex education
• Quaker Testimony of Equality
• Women in Islam

Laws

• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW (United Nations, 1979)
• Danish Act of Succession referendum, 2009
• Equal Pay Act of 1963 (United States)
• Equality Act 2006 (UK)
• Equality Bill (UK)
• European charter for equality of women and men in local life
• Gender Equality Duty in Scotland
• Gender Equity Education Act
• Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (United States, 2009)
• List of gender equality lawsuits
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (United States)
• Uniform civil code (India)
• Women's Petition to the National Assembly (France, 1789)

Organizations and ministries

• Afghan Ministry of Women Affairs (Afghanistan)
• Centre for Development and Population Activities
• Christians for Biblical Equality
• Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (European Parliament)
• Equal Opportunities Commission (UK)
• European Institute for Gender Equality
• Gender Empowerment Measure, a metric used by the United Nations
• Gender-related Development Index, a metric used by the United Nations
• Government Equalities Office (UK)
• International Center for Research on Women
• Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality
• Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
• National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (Philippines)
• Total E-Quality (Germany)

Other related topics

• List of important publications in sociology of gender
• Women's Equality Day

References

1. United Nations. Report of the Economic and Social Council for 1997. A/52/3.18 September 1997, at 28: "Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality."
2. Gender equality in Arab world critical for progress and prosperity, UN report warns, E-joussour (21 October 2008)

External links

• HillarysVillage, Forum for women, minorities, members of the gay community and those who are otherwise marginalized.
• The OneWorld Guide to Gender Equality
• WomenWatch, the United Nations Internet Gateway on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women
• Women's Empowerment, the United Nations Development Program's Gender Team
• GENDERNET, International forum of gender experts working in support of gender equality. Development Co-operation Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Gender at the OECD Development Centre, gender activities at the OECD Development Centre
• Gender Equality as Smart Economics World Bank
• The Local Gender equality in Sweden (news collection)
• Women Can Do It!
• Sexism Discussion Group
• Sexual Equality and Romantic Love
• Gender Equality Tracker