According to a recent United Nations report, more than 20 crore women in India were married before reaching adulthood. Globally, an estimated 6.4 crore girls and women were married before the age of 18, with three-quarters of these cases occurring in India alone. As per the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, one in five girls gets married before turning 18, compared to one in four a quarter-century ago. This improvement has prevented approximately 68 crore child marriages in the past decade.

Despite these advancements, the United Nations has warned that the world is lagging behind in matters of gender equality. Issues such as violence against women and deficiencies in sexual and reproductive health autonomy for many women still persist. At the current pace, achieving equality in leadership positions between men and women will take 176 years.

Also Read: Bengaluru Reports First Confirmed Dengue Death; State Tally Reaches 5,374 Cases And Five Deaths

The report also reveals that only 17% of the 169 goals set by the United Nations for global improvements are on track to be achieved by 2030. These goals, adopted by world leaders in 2015, aim to address a wide range of issues from poverty eradication to achieving gender equality. However, nearly half of these goals show minimal or moderate progress, with over a third either stalled or regressing. Secretary-General Guterres emphasized the straightforward conclusion that our failure to ensure peace, tackle climate change, and enhance international finance is weakening development efforts.

 Urgent Action Needed for 2030 Goals

In the report, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has observed some glimmers of hope but emphasized the urgent need for immediate and accelerated efforts to achieve the 2030 agenda. The assessment reveals that only 17% of the goals are showing sufficient progress, while 48% demonstrate moderate to serious setbacks. Releasing the annual report, Secretary-General António Guterres stated, ‘It indicates that the world is receiving a grade of failure.’

Also Read: Delhi Airport Terminal-1 Shutdown For 2 Months: New Departure Points For Domestic Flights