According to a new study, countries that are more respectful of women’s rights are more likely to have better health outcomes and economic growth.
According to a World Bank study published in February and based on data from 187 countries, women have only three quarters of the rights of men. In detail, 2.7 billion women still do not have the same employment opportunities as men. However, it would be in everyone’s interest to promote and fight for women’s rights. Because according to research published in the BMJ Open, countries where these rights are most respected are more likely not only to experience good economic growth, but also to show better health outcomes. This trend is observed even in poor countries.
The researchers analyzed databases on health, human rights and social and economic rights of 162 countries between 2004 and 2010. These were ranked according to their respect for the economic and social rights of women: strong (44 ), moderate (51) and poor (63). Result of the observations: significant economic and social rights for women were associated with an increase in health expenditure per capita and therefore an improvement in overall health compared to other countries. Whether in terms of disease prevention, mortality rates and life expectancy.
In countries where human rights, including those of women, were strongly respected but where access to care was below average, health outcomes were still better than average. “These results confirm that even despite a lack of resources, if a country has a strong human rights charter, health outcomes are better,” the researchers note.
Women’s rights ‘can only enhance’ progress
However, some countries respecting social, economic and cultural rights do not protect those of women, the study notes.
In order to be able to strengthen these correlations, further research is needed over a longer period of time on countries with similar human rights, concede the researchers. But gender equality is not just a problem for women, it is also a development problem, they insist.
“Today, the value of human rights has often been studied from an economic point of view. However, our results prove that rather than limiting progress, human rights and those of women in particular can only improve it” , conclude the researchers.
France among the countries most respectful of women’s rights
“If women had equal opportunities to reach their full potential, the world would not only be fairer, but also more prosperous”, commented Kristalina Georgieva, interim president of the World Bank, to the publication of the report. study of this institution.
However, World Bank research has noted significant progress in terms of women’s rights, with the global average rising from 70 to 75 on a scale of 100. Over the past ten years, 131 countries have agreed to carry out 274 reforms in for better integration of women. The greatest progress has been noted in South Asia, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean among emerging and developing countries. Conversely, the Middle East and North Africa show the lowest level of equality between men and women.
The good news is that the France is in the top 6 of the countries most respectful of women’s rights. Alongside it, Belgium, Denmark, Latvia and Sweden, which also have the perfect score of 100, “which means that men and women have equal rights in the areas measured”.
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