UN Calls for Equal Gender Representation in Decision-Making Worldwide
GENEVA, Switzerland — In a decisive move urging global reform, a United Nations committee has declared that women must hold an equal share with men in all decision-making sectors, highlighting that previous goals of 30 per cent female representation are outdated and insufficient.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has set a standard of 50-50 gender parity, stating this should be the benchmark in public and private sectors, as well as in political, economic, and digital arenas.
"This 50-50 parity is the undisputable standard," the committee emphasized, adding that lower representation targets perpetuate the message that gender inequality is acceptable. The committee underscores that decision-making becomes significantly impactful only when it reflects equal participation from both women and men, thereby taking equal account of their interests.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which 189 countries are parties, serves as the foundation for the committee’s mandate. The 23-member expert panel is tasked with overseeing compliance among these countries with the convention’s commitments.
In alignment with its new guidance, the committee will meet with states parties, with the UN human rights chief Volker Turk spearheading the guidance launch. The committee has issued warnings that failure to achieve gender parity hinders countries’ abilities to effectively tackle urgent global issues such as peace and political stability, economic development, climate change, and the technological advancements characterizing the digital age.
Women are currently "structurally excluded" from critical roles in conflict and crises prevention, and also underrepresented in peace negotiations, where they comprise just 16 per cent of peace negotiators. Further disparities are evident in national parliaments, where women hold only 27 per cent of seats, and in management roles within the labor market, at 28 per cent.
In the rapidly growing field of new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, women continue to be severely underrepresented, raising concerns over a gender gap in technological innovation and leadership.
Moreover, the committee has highlighted the need to eradicate all forms of economic discrimination against women, advocating for changes in pay equity, taxation policies, and regulatory frameworks to promote equal economic opportunities.
The committee’s announcement represents a significant push towards achieving gender equity on a worldwide scale, urging countries to adopt measures that ensure women and men have an equal voice in shaping the future across all sectors.
