March 8, 2022 | Kierra Powell
This month marks the 35th anniversary of Women’s History Month in the United States, and today we celebrate International Women’s Day. In honor of today, we’re looking at the current state of women’s rights in our country and around the world. Currently, the U.S. ranks 37th out of 156 countries for its Political Empowerment among women. And although 37th is much better than the U.S’ previous spot of 53, it still leaves us far behind where we would hope to be 101 years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. To date, no country has achieved full gender parity, but women in Iceland lead the pack at number one.
Here’s a quick look at how things currently stack up for women in other areas of power:
- Closing the gender gap just got harder! According to the World Economic Forum, it will take an average of 135.6 years for women and men to reach gender parity instead of the 99.5 years outlined in 2020 because of the impacts of COVID-19.
- Over the last decade, 131 countries have added 274 gender-related reforms to laws and regulations. But it’s estimated that more than 2.5 billion women and girls live in countries with at least one discriminatory law on the books.
- Globally, women are more likely to be enrolled in higher levels of education than men. However, reports show fewer girls are enrolled in primary education than boys.
Although political and economic gender gaps continue to be the largest gaps for women across the world, we’re still making progress, and though it may be slow it does show that change is possible.
Looking to make a measurable difference in honor of International Women’s Day? Consider volunteering or supporting nonprofits that work with women and girls. A donation to AIT helps us provide free transportation, free childcare, and free interpretive services for women during our Community Leadership Events.
