The
Millenium Development Goals (MDG) were formed and endorsed by 189 countries during a September 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit in New York City. More than
60 indicators measure progress toward the MDG. Indicators related to gender equity show that progress is being made, albeit too slowly:
- Enrollment in primary education in developing regions reached 89 percent in 2008, up from 83 percent in 2000; but the current pace of progress is insufficient to meet the goal of universal education by 2015.
- In 2008, there were 96 girls for every 100 boys enrolled in primary school, and 95 girls for every 100 boys enrolled in secondary school in developing regions.
- The share of women employed outside of agriculture remains as low as 20 percent in Southern Asia, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.
- The global share of women in parliament continues to rise slowly; it was just 19 percent in 2010 - far short of gender parity.
