Background

In 2000, world leaders promised to halve extreme poverty by 2015 with a global plan called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Much progress has been made due to the mobilization of millions of people taking action and a massive global effort. The number of people living in poverty has fallen to less than half of its 1990 level. Over two billion people gained access to better drinking water. The share of slum dwellers living in cities fell, improving the lives of at least 100 million people.
Yet, 1.4 billion people still live in extreme poverty, the majority of them being women and children. Gender inequality can be seen as one of greatest obstacles for a country to escape the poverty trap. The exclusion of many women from education, from the full benefits of health and social services, from full labour force and market participation as well as the experience of gender based violence, severely limits their ability to develop the skills that are so desperately needed by their country’s economies.
For the Pacific Region, UN Women, along with other development partners, request that gender inequality issues are seriously considered in the post- 2015 development framework. Goals such as women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women, advancing women’s access to justice, increasing women’s political participation and other critical issues of women’s empowerment and development in the Pacific context must be taken into consideration.
The post 2015 dialogue has begun and we need to make women's voices from the Pacific heard. There is much yet to be achieved
This survey contains 35 questions. We are grateful for your time and efforts to answer the Post MDG questionnaire. Not every question might relate to your area of expertise so please feel free to leave these questions unanswered.
Please access our background paper relating to the MDGs and Gender Equality "Why Gender Equality Matters" for further information.
Click here to view publication.
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete the survey. The UN Women Pacific Team

T