Women and girls are more likely to live in extreme poverty. In times of conflict, women experience higher rates of gender-based violence; when food is short, they eat least and eat last. Girls are less likely than boys to get an education in developing nations due to gender bias, a lack of access to proper sanitation and menstrual health products, and familial duties that fall disproportionately on their shoulders.

For these reasons and many more, Global Citizens around the world are uniting in taking action for gender equity ahead of this year's Global Citizen Festival in New York City.

We’re calling on the world’s most powerful to ramp up their investments in women’s health, education, and nutrition. Why? Just take a look at the facts we’ve laid out below that highlight how investing in women improves gender equity and can transform lives, communities, and countries.

  1. Educated girls earn more money.
  2. Access to contraception and reproductive health services saves lives.
  3. Access to sanitary products improves girls’ attendance in school.
  4. Women farmers improve food security.
  5. Recognizing the care economy reduces the burden of unpaid care work on women.
  6. Equal pay decreases the number of women living in poverty.
  7. Women in politics shine a light on gender inequality.

Read the full article about investing in women can lead to gender equity by Jaxx Artz at Global Citizen.