Gender equality is a human right. Women have the right to live with dignity and freedom from want and fear. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty: empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of families and entire communities, and improve prospects for the next generation.

Yet, despite the solid evidence demonstrating the importance of women's empowerment in reducing poverty, promoting development, and tackling the world's most pressing challenges, gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise.

For more than 30 years, UNFPA has defended the rights of women and girls, promoting legal reforms, gender-sensitive policies, and data collection, and supporting initiatives that improve women's health and expand their choices in life.