Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth. Gender equality can refer to equal opportunities or formal equality based on gender or refer to equal representation or equality of outcomes for gender, also called substantive equality. On a global scale, achieving gender equality also requires eliminating harmful practices against women and girls, including sex trafficking, femicide, wartime sexual violence, gender wage gap, and other oppression tactics. UNFPA stated that “despite many international agreements affirming their human rights, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate. The 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights expresses the credo that all human beings are created free and equal. But not until 1995 did the United Nations declare that women’s rights to be human rights, and bring gender issues into the global arena for the first time. The subordination of indigenous and minority women, ethnic cleansing, and the struggle for reproductive rights are some of the most pressing issues facing women worldwide. This comprehensive book encompasses a global perspective on women and a wide range of issues, including political and domestic violence, education, literacy, and reproductive rights. This book will be useful for students and professionals in the field of human rights.

Vikramaditya Singh is a gender studies scholar and human rights advocate. His research focuses on gender inequality, women's rights, and social justice issues, contributing to feminist scholarship. His publications on gender issues and human rights advocacy have been published in gender studies journals, promoting social justice and equality globally.