Gender equality is "pivotal to human progress" because it produces a "double dividend" of benefiting women and children and also is vital to the health and development of families, communities and countries, according to a report released on Monday by UNICEF, the Toronto Star reports (Teotonio, Toronto Star, 12/11). The report examined data on several issues, including women's health and gender equality (Agence France Presse, 12/10). The report found that children whose mothers who have an equal voice in basic family decisions -- such as health care, income expenditures, and relations with family members and friends -- are more likely to receive proper nourishment, education and health care services, Reuters reports. The report surveyed people in 30 developing countries and found that 50% or more of women participate in all household decisions in only 10 of the countries -- Armenia, Bolivia, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines, Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe. Nearly 75% of women in Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria said their husbands alone make decisions regarding health, according to the report. According to Reuters, about 14 million girls and women ages 15 to 19 give birth annually, and infants born to girls under age 18 are 60% more likely to die before age one than infants born to women in their 20s. The report also found evidence of a preference for male children, sex-selective abortions and a lack of sex education among girls in developing countries.

Findings, Recommendations
The report found that if men and women had an equal voice in decision-making, the incidents of underweight children from birth to age three in South Asia would drop by up to 13%, resulting in 13.4 million fewer undernourished children. The report also said that an increasing number of women in developing countries are entering the workforce but that lower wages are hampering their power to provide sufficient health care, nutrition and education for their children (Leopold, Reuters, 12/10). The report said improving gender equality would improve maternal health; help reduce poverty and hunger; help ensure universal education; and help curb HIV/AIDS malaria and other diseases. "Healthy, educated, empowered women are more likely to have healthy, educated and confident children," the report's editor, David Anthony, said, adding, "To create a world of equity, shared responsibility, tolerance ... cannot happen without gender equality." According to the report, investing in girls' education, improving property law and inheritance rights to ensure equal rights for women, establishing quotas to ensure women are involved in politics, and engaging men and boys on the benefits of equality are some ways to promote gender equality (Toronto Star, 12/11). According to Reuters, the report did not "explicit[ly] call" for specific family planning practices (Reuters, 12/10).

The report is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat to view the report.