Explainer: Why investing in women and girls benefits everyone

UNITED NATIONS, New York – The right to go to school. To join the workforce. The right to vote. To have a bank account. The right to choose whether to have children. The right to use contraception – or not. The right to live free from violence. To say yes or no to sex. The right to wed – if, when and with whom she wants. For women and girls, these rights are far from assured, and many must still fight to defend them. 

Women’s rights have been claimed over decades of advocacy, global agreements, policy reform, international legislation – and perhaps most importantly, a growing awareness of how gender equality benefits not only women and girls, but everyone in society.

And yet still today, women and girls face pushback, obstacles, obstruction, even the threat of violence and incarceration, when standing up for their sexual and reproductive rights. Steps forward are being forced into reverse, especially for marginalized groups and people in humanitarian crises. 

Why? One reason is perhaps the misunderstanding that gender equality only benefits women and girls. In fact, gender equality benefits all people. Below, we explore three reasons the world must invest in women’s rights to ensure progress for everyone.

1. Because violence against women and girls is a global crisis

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world. Every three seconds an adolescent girl is married somewhere in the world. One woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family member. About 1 in 3 women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. “Gender-based violence is not just discrimination – it also means rape, murder, beatings and humiliation,” explained Dafne Aquino, a psychologist working with UNFPA to bring information and essential health services to indigenous women in the Peruvian Amazon.

Studies show that in sub-Saharan Africa, when the share of women affected by gender-based violence rises by even 1 percentage point, economic activity falls by up to 8 per cent – primarily due to drops in female employment. For every additional dollar spent on preventing female genital mutilation, $10 worth of returns would be accrued by 2050. Investments to avert 230 million cases of child marriage would yield $5.1 trillion in economic benefits by 2050.

One critical step towards eliminating violence is gender equality – and achieving this does not only help women and girls, it greatly improves outcomes for men as well. Studies show gender equality lowers men’s mortality rates, including by causing a 40 per cent reduced risk of violent death.

2. Because reproductive rights are human rights

There is a large body of evidence showing that when women can choose and access the contraception that best fits their needs, it has ripple-down benefits for all of society. As unintended and adolescent pregnancies drop, more girls can continue their education and develop professional skills, increasing women’s participation in the workforce and society – with better outcomes for economies, peace and security. Studies show that for every additional $1 spent on contraceptive services, the costs of  pregnancy-related and newborn care are reduced by $3.

Tatu Omar Sharif and her husband live with their eight children on the Pemba island of Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania. “My husband and I didn’t intend to have many children – I was often surprised that I was pregnant again,” she told UNFPA. When the couple learned about family planning together at a clinic, they saw a way to provide a better future. “We want to use a family planning method so we can take good care of the children we already have.”

When all people are able to have the number of children that is right for them, families are better equipped to educate and care for those children – leading to a healthier, more skilled and productive workforce. In 2024, UNFPA provided $139 million worth of contraceptives through its Supplies Partnership alone, saving countries $752 million from reduced health-care costs for pregnancy, delivery and post-abortion care. This potentially averted 9.9 million unintended pregnancies, preventing 224,000 maternal and newborn deaths and 2.97 million unsafe abortions.

3. Because women are still at risk of dying while giving birth

Investments in reproductive health not only reduce maternal mortality, but they also reduce childbirth injuries and health complications and promote well-being for mothers and babies alike. Strengthening midwifery training and care alone could avert more than 40 per cent of maternal deaths, 39 per cent of neonatal deaths and 26 per cent of stillbirths – equalling 2.2 million lives saved annually by 2035.  

More than 60 per cent of all maternal deaths occur in humanitarian crises and fragile settings, places where women often cannot access the care and nutrition needed. For Amina in Sudan, her survival depended on the kindness – and skill – of a stranger, who performed a Caesarean section on the floor of his home. “I had to start walking again just six hours later, carrying my baby while my wounds were still fresh and painful,” she told UNFPA. 

When mothers die, their children are many times more likely to die as well, and if their children survive they have worse nutrition and schooling. Yet for just $1 put towards family planning and maternal health, $8.4 would be yielded in economic benefits. How? When pregnant women have access to quality prenatal and maternal health services, death, complications and disability rates fall, which increases not only lifespans and productivity but also health and well-being, across generations. In all, women and societies thrive when they have the freedom to make their own choices about their bodies and their futures. 

A march towards gender equality 

There is no gender equality without equal sexual and reproductive health and rights: Women’s health, well-being and autonomy depend on sexual and reproductive healthcare. Social change and progress rely on women having equal rights – and being empowered to claim them. 

UNFPA estimates that $222 billion dollars is required to make zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices a reality by 2030.