Gender Equality at a Global Level: A Survey

Gender equality is a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. In order to understand the different realities of gender equality worldwide, an international survey was conducted with the Units of the International Chair in Bioethics. This study was conducted with the Heads of the Units (N = 170) from 71 countries, from November 2016 until November 2017, through the administration of an online international survey: the Global Questionnaire on Gender Equality, which was developed for the purpose of this study. A total of sixty Heads of Units of the International Chair in Bioethics (35%) participated, from thirty-five different countries (49.2%). Units from India, Ghana, Nigeria and Slovenia answered that they have not achieved gender parity regarding education and family roles. Several areas lacked any form of family planning-related education in schools, and there were inequalities in terms of job access, which were mainly reported in West Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Advancing gender equality is critical to a healthy society, and has various impacts, from reducing poverty to promoting the health and education. Thus, the proposal of a Universal Declaration on Gender Equality was developed, with the purpose to be a comprehensive tool to promote gender equality worldwide.