* Introduction

To empower women & girls and encourage gender equality have been embodied as global development objective since the 1990s. Under ‘The Principle 4 of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)’ 1994 Programme of Action, it states, "advancing gender equality . . empowerment of women . .  elimination of all kinds of violence against women and ensuring women to control their fertility . . are priority objectives of the international community . ."
And ever since its announcement, approximately two decades have passed. However, the question of how realistic development could be made in order to enable women and girls to be empowered and encounter gender equality are yet to be remained as a debatable area.
 

A. Education

The first stage in achieving gender equality & empowering women and girls will be ‘Education’. Education for women and girls has been, still is and will be underscored, for it is never enough to emphasize its significance. Especially in underdeveloped countries and in rural areas, when girls and women have equal access to education, and get to participate fully in economic and business decision-making, they may likely be the key driving force against poverty. The reason education is regarded as imperative is that it is likely to cease the continuation of poverty. And in order to cease the continuation of poverty, through education, a member of the family can transmit the intellectual and cultural capital necessary to stay out of or change their impoverished condition. Namely, there must be positive intervention that could bring changes to (a) poor health, (b) insufficient capital, (c) vulnerability to life changes and (d) less educational opportunity along with less participation in communal activity, which are the main reasons the poverty continues. And in order for a person to achieve good health, sufficient capital, a stable life, education & participation it is usually through education a person will learn and know how to maintain good health, how to earn money and to make his or her life stable, and be educated and rationally speak up nationally and internationally. 

The other reasons "Education" is significant for women and girls is because, education increases literate girls and women, which enable them to acquire knowledge, which are the main means for women and girls to make positive intervention (in aforementioned (a) - (d)), which is likely to have positive effects, such as increasing various fields of representation by women and girls. And through these voices, other women and girls will have the urge to learn, and another and another. And through the knowledge an increasing number of women and girls have acquired through education, for instance, sex-education, it may likely (i) increase safe sex reducing HIV, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (hereinafter "STDs"), etc., (ii) decrease early marriage, (iii) decrease human trafficking and (iv) increase income in households, which eventually will contribute in reducing poverty in the household decreasing the continuation of poverty in general. In addition, in order for girls and women to be educated in a good environment, violence against women and girls must draw to a close. The violence against women and girls (e.g., physical abuse, sexual violence, sexual harassment, emotional/psychological violence) is one of the worst systematic and widespread human rights violations, which is one of the major obstacles to end gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls. In a venue, where violence against women and girls is not taken seriously, it is crucial to investigate the factual basis of incidents and its policies and statutes within the domestic legal system, if not possible for various reasons, through international legal system as well; for it may likely mean women and girls are not respected and not treated equally compared to men, which leads to the proof of gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls. Thus, for women and girls to be treated impartially, it is crucial for international community as a whole and importantly for men to realize that women and girls has the very rights to control their body and their future.

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B. Health 

The second crucial stage to achieve gender equality and to  empower women and girls is ‘Birth Control’ & ‘Sanitary Products’.

 

1) Birth Control 

Firstly, in order for women and girls to be educated in a good environment, their ability to control their fertility must be ensured. Women and girls having control of their fertility may imply women and girls have the right to control her body and her future. And to control these two crucial aspects, current birth control devices are acting as a savior for women and girls letting women and girls to have “safe sex" without the fear of unwanted pregnancy along with the transmission of HIV, STDs, etc.. And for these reasons, hundred millions of women and girls in developing countries could now delay or stop getting unwanted pregnant. However, many women and girls in developing countries still have limited access to birth control devices due to (a) gender-based barriers, (b) religious concerns, (c) limited birth control methods, and (d) poor health care services.
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(a) Gender-based Barriers 

First, there must be revision of thoughts by men and boys. Ever since women had the right to vote, which proved women were not the second class citizens in the 1800s; during WWI and WWII women taking on roles of men; and economic development which permeated in the mid 1900s where women were proven to have thoughts of higher education, which actually did lead to additional income in the household; have changed the standpoint as to the very role of women and girls. However, these changes are not sufficed. For example, according to a 2014 study as to the ratio of the male and female labor force participation rates versus GDP per capita, the developing countries stand out for the underrepresentation of women in the labor force; while men are nearly four times as likely as women are getting paid. Additionally, based on further research, it is said that female labor force participation is abnormally low in the Middle East, North Africa and other similar regions as well. Further, pursuant to a 2012 study, a number of husbands embedded in traditional marriage, preferring stay-at-home wives, have a tendency to exhibit attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that undermine the role of women. And these thoughts could be contributed by the viewpoint that accomplishment by women in education, careers, economics and politics will be taken no notice if their role as a wife (i.e., nurture children, housework) is ineffective, dis-incentivizing women from favorable options in building up their capacity and profession. And by stressing the role of women on their traditional role as this, it is highly likely the use of birth control in the household will decrease by men. Thus, it is very important for spouses and men to change their attitude toward the very role of women and girls. And in order for the perspective of spouses and men to change, there needs to be intervention and mediation availing the policies or programs established by the government or the local communities that could educate men and boys, in order to strengthen them to change their thoughts and behaviors toward the role of women and girls, that  empowering women and girls is not a tool to make women and girls to be smarter than men and boys, yet to equally balance the ability of men and boys & women and girls to make a healthier family inside and out that is favorable to both men and boys & women and girls, and further could be a valuable force in development of the country they reside. 

 

(b) Religious Concerns 

It is said that in developing countries and rural areas where a large number of people are suffering from AIDS, there are a number of religious organizations and the like that are opposing to birth control. Further, in certain developing countries, local bishops have instead recommended that abstinence and ethics be used to prevent the spread of HIV. However, this is unrealistic. Generally, in countries where government does not have strong authority and the technology of science is little known due to lack of capital and education, spread of HIV is prevalent, which leads to incessant (aforementioned) the continuation of poverty. Thus, in order for the viewpoints of the people in the developing countries and rural areas as to birth control to be affirmative and favorable, the role of the government cooperation with the international community, especially as to the notion of religious organizations concerning birth control, educating people through policies or programs will be essential.
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(c) Limited Birth Control Devices

As for birth control devices, there are 18 effective birth control devices, that could reduce unwanted pregnancy. However, there is limited access to these birth control devices in rural areas. And the cause of the limited choices as to birth control devices is likely due to lack of financial support from the government that has limited financial supply, which leads to poor health care services. 
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(d) Poor Health Care Services 

Thus, for the people in developing countries and rural areas to have similar access to health-maintaining interventions as the people in developed countries, it is significant for the government along with the national and international companies, organizations & non-profit organizations to educate women and girls as to birth control device choices and cooperate in funding the poor health care services in rural areas giving both women and men who resides in the area an easy access to birth control devices, which will unload  one of the serious burdens of women and girls face every day.

 

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2) Sanitary Products 

Next, in order for women and girls to be educated in a good environment, the women and girls need to have a clean environment within them. There are, however, still many women and girls in rural areas in under-developed countries who do not have sanitary products (e.g., pads, tampons) and relies on rags, and in certain cases, cotton wool, grass, plastic and even paper. And because of these conditions, many women and girls are hesitating to go to school or work, because of the shame and embarrassment they may likely have to confront, which prevents a number of women and girls from getting education or earning money for their future and their family, which is far from aiding in halting the continuation of poverty in the region. Therefore, it is crucial as well for the respective governments, national and international NGOs and people to extend further collaboration in fund to supply sanitary products to the women and girls who have difficulties having access to these necessities.

 

* Conclusion

By ameliorating the aforementioned problematic notions as to (a) gender-based barriers, (b) religious concerns, (c) limited birth control methods, and (d) poor health care services, many women and girls in developing countries may likely have easy access to both birth control devices and sanitary products. Further, easy access to these devices and products will give women and girls an opportunity to control their body and future through various fields of education, widening the very role of women and girls by contributing to end the continuation of poverty, and simultaneously and dynamically strengthen the key notions as to Gender Based Equality & Women and Girls Empowerment. 

 

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** References

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1. Seema Jayachandran, The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries, (November 2014), (policy approaches to address gender inequality)

 

 

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