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An equal world is an enabled world – which means equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal participation for everyone. This shouldn’t be complicated to achieve, yet we know that it is. How can we make an equal world a reality for future generations?
The “Equal Measures 2030″ data hub provides a wealth of information to help assess our progress. It shows that not a single low- or middle-income country is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030, one of the Sustainable Development Goals. Are we imagining the impossible?
We know from our work so far that access to health and education can be life-changing for young girls and women, opening the doors to knowledge, opportunities and empowerment. Yet women and girls are at higher risk of marginalisation, especially those who may have visual impairments or other disabilities.
The latest data from the WHO World Report on Vision shows that of the 2.2 billion people around the world who have a visual impairment, at least one billion have a visual impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be treated. This burden is not borne equally: it weighs heavily on people from low- and middle-income countries, women, older people and those from ethnic minorities. Despite long-standing international commitments and the known benefits of addressing gender inequality, we know that women and young girls are not able to access services with the same frequency as men. Incorporating gender into eye health programmes remains a significant challenge.
So, what can we do to change this? What should gender equity in eye health look like? How should it be measured? These are questions we are still grappling with! However, we are increasingly recognising the immense potential of looking at sustainable development through a gender lens.
This International Women’s Day, Sightsavers and the IAPB Gender Equity Work Group have six key messages to share with governments, civil society and the private sector. If action is taken in each of these areas, we will make significant progress towards achieving our goal of an equal and inclusive world.
2020 is a significant year in the eye health sector – a year to reflect on progress, celebrate our achievements and define our strategic direction to achieve the 2030 goals. Let’s take this International Women’s Day as an opportunity to envision and plan for a more inclusive and equal world in which women and girls are visible and empowered.
#IWD2020 #EachforEqual #LeaveNoOneBehind #EqualWorld
Image on top: All smiles after cataract surgery by Eliza Deacon
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1502714171653{background-color: #e7ecf3 !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”light-row cellspace”]The IAPB Global Assembly 2020 (GA2020) programme has several sessions on Gender Equity and Eye Health. If your work is around the topic, do submit an abstract–the sector needs to know!
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