6 days ago
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Pio Smith, the regional director for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is warning that gender equality is in danger of reversing after almost 30 years of hard-won gains as “economic instability, conflict and climate disasters are deepening inequalities, pushing women and girls into greater vulnerability.”
In an opinion-editorial piece shared by the UNFPA, Smith recalled that 30 years ago, the world made a promise: gender equality for all. The Beijing Declaration, he recalls, set an ambitious agenda urging governments to accelerate progress. At the time, he said, doing so was more crucial in the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to over half the world’s women and girls.
Decades of advocacy and investment, he said, led to tangible gains, with more women in leadership, stronger legal protections and improved access to health care and education.
Unfortunately, he warned, “today, those hard-won gains are unravelling. Gender equality is not just stalling – it is reversing. Reproductive rights are rolling back. Gender-based violence is rising. Women’s political representation is stagnating and, in some cases, regressing. Economic instability, conflict and climate disasters are deepening inequalities, pushing women and girls into greater vulnerability.”
Asia and the Pacific stands at a crossroads, he stressed, citing that “maternal mortality, once declining, has stagnated. In some countries, fewer than 30 percent of women have access to contraception. In the Pacific, one in two women has experienced intimate partner violence.”
Climate change, he said, is exacerbating inequalities, uprooting families, and exposing women to exploitation and abuse. Women and children in the region are 14 times more likely to die in disasters.
In Afghanistan, he continued, a woman dies from preventable pregnancy complications every two hours, making it one of the deadliest countries in the world to give birth. Less than one in four sexually active unmarried youth in the region uses contraception, leaving many vulnerable to unintended pregnancies, early marriage and limited life choices. South Asia, he pointed out, is home to around 290 million child brides - 45 percent of the global total.
Furthermore, he said, “with a rapidly aging population in Asia-Pacific, older women – many of whom spent their lives caring for others without financial security – face heightened risks of poverty, neglect and abuse. A gender-equal future must ensure dignity, security and health care for women at every stage of life.”
As such, he asks the question, “Do we drive forward to ensure equality and opportunity for all women and girls? Or do we allow decades of hard-won progress to slip away? The direction we choose now will steer the future of generations.”
At the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women to be held from March 10 to 21, this year’s theme is accelerating gender equality by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing.
Smith highlights the need for action, such as in Asia-Pacific, where he points out “deep inequalities persist, governments must match political will with sustainable, strategic funding to drive real change.”
According to the UNFPA official, “Governments must prioritize universal access to sexual and reproductive health services. Every woman and girl deserves the right to make informed choices about her body and her future. No woman should die giving life - preventable maternal deaths must end. We must enforce stronger laws and build support systems to end gender-based violence. This means enforcing legislation, providing survivor-centered services and addressing harmful norms that enable violence.”
Additionally, he said, “We must actively promote women’s leadership in politics and decision-making. The Pacific has some of the lowest rates of women’s political representation in the world. In Fiji, for example, women’s representation in parliament dropped from almost 20 percent to just over 10 percent in the last election. Addressing these gaps is not only about fairness and equity – it’s about building stronger, more inclusive societies.”
Smith continued, “The economic case for gender equality is clear. Closing gender gaps in employment would boost gross domestic product or GDP by up to 20 percent globally. Investing in midwives alone would prevent 40 percent of maternal and newborn deaths, saving 4.3 million lives by 2035. Countries that invest in gender equality see stronger economies, healthier populations and greater resilience in the face of crises. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence, funding for women’s health and rights remains woefully inadequate. This is not just a policy failure – it is a human rights failure.”
Smith harps on the need to get back on track, warning that “if we continue at the current pace, it will take centuries to close the gender gap. Rights can be lost as quickly as they are gained. Progress is not inevitable; however, hope is not lost either. History reassures us that when a woman is given the opportunity to thrive, she does not just transform her own life – she sparks change for her community and her entire nation.”
He concluded, “At a time when politics and disinformation threaten the rights of women and girls - we must not falter. This International Women’s Day, we must recommit to the promise we made 30 years ago...The future we want – where every woman and girl can live free from violence, make her own choices and access opportunities... but only if we refuse to step back. Only if we push forward, together. The time is now. Let’s ensure we are on the right side of history.”
